It's A Hard Knock Life
by Agent Striker
Summary: FULL SUMMARY INSIDE: Jack & Sue meet a deaf girl, Raven who's looking for the key to her past and a new team member brings lots of funny stories...but there's a terrorist attack on the horizon and the team is in deep trouble. Better sum. inside!
1. Chapter 1

Summary: When at the hospital meeting with an informant, Jack and Sue meet a deaf girl called Raven. Raven is involved with a notorious drug/guns/smuggling/theft/fraud ring called the Strikers and she has been as long as she can remember. She was abandoned on the street and members of the gang took her in. Her tough persona has awarded her a high position in the gang and exchange for a lighter sentence and help finding her family, Raven promises to help the F.B.I get inside the group. Meanwhile, the team welcomes a temporary member to their team, Leslie McDaniel, a friend from the past. Lots of stories are shared until a threat to national security puts the entire team on the top of death list of a high powered terrorist. Death is the name of the game as the team races to find the answers in this face paced episode.

***Note this is not really an episode.**

**Hi, Agent Striker here, this is my first multi-chapter Sue Thomas fic and well, I just have to say that I'm such a perfectionist when it come to writing about this TV show that if I don't like it I might start over…just a warning. Anyway, on to the story.**

"Levi, get Sue." The handsome Jack Hudson said to the golden-haired dog lying on the floor by the feet of his golden-haired owner.

With a mighty stretch, Levi nudged his owner, getting her attention then directing it toward Jack, "What do you need?" Sue asked with a smile.

"I just got a call from Metro, they just got a call from St. Michaels, it seems that one of your informants was brought in with a gunshot wound and he's asking for you."

Already reaching for her purse and Levi's leash Sue asked with a slightly worried expression, "Who?"

"Keith Glover." Jack said, referring to a man the team had 'drafted' only a few short weeks earlier.

"What could have happened?" Sue wondered aloud as she, Jack and Levi made their way to the elevator.

"I have no idea," Jack shrugged as the elevator doors opened and the trio stepped inside, "He's in stable condition and the nurse that I talked to said that he was going to be all right. Maybe he has something for us."

It was Sue's turn to shrug, "Maybe…I guess we'll see when we get there, huh?"

Jack smiled, "Yea I guess we will."

The ride to the hospital was quite and uneventful. Each of the passengers in the car were lost in their own thoughts. One was thinking about rabbits, one was worrying about the man in the hospital and the third was thinking about the lady in the passenger seat.

When they arrived at the hospital, Sue stepped out of the car and said to her partner, "It's such a beautiful day; it must really stink to be stuck inside the hospital."

Jack couldn't agree more. The summer air was begging to fade and the cool fall air talking its place. It was one of those rare days when it was sunny but there was a nice breeze and it was just about 75 degrees.

Once inside the hospital, Jack inquired at the reception desk, "Can you tell me what room Keith Glover is in?"

With a flirty smile the young nurse drew out the words, "Itttttssss rooom 465."

"Thanks," Jack smiled back, and for some reason the action made Sue feel ever so slightly jealous.

"Ladies first," Jack held his arm out toward the elevator, "Excuse me, I meant to say ladies and dogs first."

Sue laughed and entered the elevator with Levi right beside her. Jack pushed the '4' and silently stood while the elevator hummed its way to the fourth floor. When they arrived Jack, Sue and Levi made their way to 465. On the bed lay a young man of 19 with thick brown hair. His tall frame looked uncomfortable in the hospital bed and he was pale but he smiled when Sue entered the room.

"What happened?" Sue asked as she moved closer to the bed.

"I was coming home after I worked the late shift and this huge guy, I swear he was built like a Mack truck, shoves me into an alley and tells me to lay off being an F.B.I rat or else I was going to die, courtesy of the Strikers. Then he pulls out a gun and says 'This is just a warning,' and shoots me." He said his eyes on his pretty 'handler'.

"Did you get a look at his face?" Jack asked.

The young man tore his eyes away from Sue and shook his head, "Sorry man, it was way too dark..."

Sue asked another question, "Did you see or hear anything at all that might help us find him?"

"Nope. Nothing." Keith looked nervously between the two F.B.I team members, "I'm not so sure about this informant thing…I really don't like getting shot up in back allies."

"If you back out then you get to go to prison, if you stick this thing out then you get protection and no prison time." Jack said, "What's it going to be?"

Again the young man looked between the two, "How soon do I get my protection?"

"As soon as I call the office and they send someone over here." Jack said as he pulled out his cell phone.

"Okay I'll take the protection…"Keith stopped and looked at Sue, "Are you guys going to check out the Strikers?"

Sue glanced at Jack who was telling the person on the other end to get someone over here and tell Tara to do some checking on the Strikers. "It's already in the works," She smiled.

The boy smiled back and as Jack hung up his phone he said, "Someone is about 5 minutes away, we'll hang around until they get here."

The minutes past quickly and soon Jack and Sue were on their way to the elevator, "I feel sorry for him," Sue said as they made their way down the hallway.

"Why-" Jack stopped and turned back toward the sound of breaking glass. A burly doctor charged down the hallway toward the room and an interested Jack and Sue followed.

"What's going on?" The doctor yelled at a telephone flew toward the door. The thrower was a tall, well muscled girl of 17 or 18. She had medium length shiny, natural back hair. She had a cast on one arm, bruises dancing across her face and she looked terrified. Her hands were moving in odd ways and suddenly Sue gasped, "She's sighing!"

The doctor and the two nurses turned toward her, "What?" The doctor asked.

"She's using American Sign language!" Sue stepped toward the girl who stepped closer to the wall and signed, **Who are you? Where am I? Who are those people?**

"**My name is Sue Thomas, you're at St. Michael's Hospital, and these people are trying to help you, they're nurses and doctors.**" Sue signed and spoke.

Turning toward the doctor she asked what happened.

"She was brought in early this morning, all beat up. The guy with her just dumped her off and split, she was out so we fixed her up and then suddenly she's freaking out." The doctor said, "I guess she didn't remember getting here."

Sue nodded and turned toward the girl, "**What's your name?**"

**Raven.**

"**Raven What?**"

**Just Raven, I don't have a last name.**

"**Everyone has a last name.**"

**If I do then I don't know what is. Why am I here…and how did I get here?**

"**You got hurt or beat up and a man brought you in.**"

**What are they trying to do to me? **

"**They want to help you, let them.**"

The girl looked less scared but then she turned to Sue. After scrutinizing her face she signed, **only if you stay with me.**

Sue looked at Jack and when he spoke, she nodded to Raven.

"I'll call the office and tell them we'll be a little late…and to look for any missing girls who are deaf and named Raven."

Sue smiled, "You read my mind."

**Chapter One! How do you like it? Please review and tell me what you think! I don't really know when I'll update again…I have two other stories and I have a major block on one of them…well until next time,**

**Agent Striker**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! . Thanks to **fanka77 **, **futuremrshudson **(Really like the name!), **jam29**, **ILiveFearliss** and **DiamondsR4eva **for reviewing. And thanks to the other 60 something of you guys that visited but didn't review…I accept anonymous reviews people, just FYI. Anyway on to the story:**

**(Forgot this in the last chapter) **_**Key**_**- Signing-**"**Speaking and Signing**"-_Thoughts_

"**Do you remember how you broke your arm?**" Sue asked Raven as the hospital staff cleaned up the small room.

She nodded; **I fell down a flight of stairs.**

"**How?**"

The girl shrugged like she could care less but her warm chocolate eyes had the look of a trapped animal, **I just tripped. I'm kind of clumsy. **

"**Oh, stairs can be tricky.**" Sue signed as she sent a questioning glance toward Jack. "**Where are you living…and are you in school?**"

**I've never been to school…I didn't learn ASL until I was nearly 14. I'm living with a group of people down around Hogan Street.**

"**You didn't learn ASL until you were 14? How old are you? How did you communicate?**"

Jack was watching Raven as she sat watching Sue. She was absently rubbing the inside of her wrist, right over a tattoo. It was a black lightning bolt, about two inches long with tiny wording following the slightly angled bottom line.

Raven answered Sue's question, **I'm 16…I guess I just did what needed to be done, didn't communicate all that much, but I wrote a lot of notes and a fist can say a lot.**

"**But you said you've never been to school, how did you learn to read and write?" **Sue signed, genuinely interested.

**I taught myself.**

Before Sue could answer the doctor reentered the room with a small bottle of pills and a sheet of paper, "Can you tell her that these are her pain pills and this is her release forms, she's free to go."

Sue relayed the message and as the doctor left she asked, **can we drop you off somewhere?**

Raven stood up and reached for her jacket as she shook her head. Sue couldn't help but notice the worn clothes the girl had, a dark green spaghetti strap tank top, well wore jeans and pair of dirty high top black converse.

**Well then, can we walk you out?**

Raven smiled, **I'd like that.**

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Sue turned to Raven outside the hospital and handed her a printed card with her phone number and email on it, **Just in case you need anything, **Sue signed with a smile.

Raven grinned and waved as she headed off in the opposite direction of the car.

"There's something off about that girl," Jack said as soon as she was out of sight.

Sue nodded as she walked in stride with Jack, "Yea, she seemed like she was lying about falling down the stairs."

Getting into the car Jack shrugged, "I guess if she wants help, she contact you."

Sue glanced at her partner after she had buckled her seat belt, "I hope so."

LINE BREAK!

Tara didn't even look up from her computer screen as she handed Jack a thin file, "This is what I found on the Strikers so far…and there's a lot more to come…these guys are bad news."

"Thanks," jack said as he flipped through the papers. He came to a picture where he paused and said to sue who had been watching him with what might be called interest, "Look at this."

Sue took the page and frowned she read the text under the picture of a black lightning bolt with STRIKERS written across the angled bottom out loud, "Rank among the Strikers is shown by a two inch tattoo on the right wrist. A black outline signifies that the member is low, either new to the gang or someone who hasn't been involved with any big operations. In the next level of the gang the tattoo has the word 'STRIKERS' written across the angled bottom part. This level of the gang is fairly numerous compared to the first stage as often the newbies get arrested or killed. Filling in the tattoo is the final stage and the most revered. There are only a dozen or so know leaders in the Washington D.C. area."

Sue read the paragraph then looked up at Jack with a slightly confused yet pained look. He gave his head a slight nod before as he spoke, "I'm guessing that you noticed it too."

"A tattoo of a lightning bolt on the right wrist, filled in with wording near the bottom…but Jack she's only 16." Sue said, disbelief replacing the confusion and pained look that had been dancing on her face just seconds before.

Jack shrugged, "I know…and it really doesn't matter now…if she doesn't contact you we have now way of tracking her down.

Sue looked at the paper in her hands again then she looked at her partner, "It says here that 'There are only a dozen or so know leaders in the Washington D.C. area.'…that means that someone knows…right?"

Jack took the paper from the woman's hands and nodded, "Yea, someone knows…and I think I might just know that someone…or in this case someone_s_."

**A little bit of a cliffie yes? Muhahahahaha FEEL THE PAIN! *Cough* I mean umm…sorry but that's the way I rock and roll. Anywa, I'm sorry about the wait between the chapters, I actually started this chapter the same day as the last one, typed up half of it, hated it and commenced to deleting 90% of it and starting over. Plus most of last week I was in Connecticut on vacation…didn't get much done there….like two paragraphs . **

**But moving on I have to share an awesome book with you all, it's called The Morning Gift and it's by Eva Ibbotson. *Sigh* If you are a hopeless romantic (like me) you'll LOVE this book…you need to go read it…like yesterday. Come to think of it if you like romance and historical fiction, you'll like all of the Eva Ibbotson books, **_**A Song For Summer**_**, **_**A Countess Belowstairs**_**, and **_**The Reluctant Heiress **_**(There's one more but I haven't read it, it's called**_** A Company of Swans.)**_**. **

**Again moving on,****since Sue Thomas F. is a TV show I've casted actors and actresses to be the people in my story. Drum roll please…

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**Ooops, go down some more.

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**Keep going!

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**Are you annoyed yet?

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**Hehehehehehe!

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**I love my reviewers sooo much!

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**I love my readers too!

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**Just one more!

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**I lied!

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**Just one, I swear!

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**Are you ready?**

**Tada! **

**Keith Glover- ****Zac Efron**

**Raven- ****Jodelle Ferland**

**Leslie McDaniel- ****Amy Adams**** (She was mentioned in the summary, you'll meet her a little later)**

**Do you like the casting? I thought it was pretty good…and just to make this clear I picked these people because of their age and the way they LOOK! And these might change...Leslie McDaniel probably won't but Keith Glover might. Also I need your help, I need two blonde haired actresses…preferably ones with blues eyes. I was thinking Reese Witherspoon but with her hair short and wavy…oh yea, one of the actresses has to have long hair.**

**And if you don't know what these people look like there are links on my profile!**

**Love you guys,**

**Agent Striker **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while since the last update but I've been kinda busy! I just turned 14 on the 11****th**** (WHOO HOO FINALLY!) and guess what I got….ALL 3 SEASONS OF SUE THOMAS FBEYE! EVERY SINGLE EPISODE! I kind of knew about it before my birthday because the box came and the company was Sue Thomas DVDs but I was still so, So, SO happy! I can watch any time I want to and that makes me a VERY happy camper. No more I-only-have-half-of-a-two-parter or re-watching the same ones over and over because I love them so much. Plus, most of the ones that I taped on PAX are missing parts, so I get a extra surprise in every episode! Anyway, thanks to **futuremrshudson**, **Pattyfer78**,** lizziemarie0529**,** JewDrop91**, **Hope06** and **fanka77**. I LOVE MY REVIEWERS! But you guys didn't name any actresses so I had to choose on my own. You'll see who I choose at the end of the chapter!**

"So who are we going to see again?" Sue asked as Jack pressed the gold button that had a 'p' for parking garage.

"To see the ladies of NGIC." He smiled.

Sue shot him a questioning look, "I'll play along with your game, who are the ladies of NGIC?"

The elevator stopped at the second floor and a few people got in, "NGIC stands for National Gang Intelligence Center-"

He paused as Sue asked a question, "And the ladies are…?"

"Jocelyn and Gwen Carter, 'Gang Stoppers Extraordinar'," He explained, putting air quotations around Gang Stoppers Extraordinar, "Or at least that's what they say."

The elevator stopped and the duo, plus Levi, got off. Once inside the car Sue asked, "Isn't the data from NGIC available to all law enforcement without having to go to the NGIC offices?"

Jack nodded as he backed out of the parking space, "It is but everyone needs to meet Jocelyn and Gwen sometime, they're very…" He paused, seemingly searching for the right adjective, "Interesting."

"Interesting?" Sue asked skeptically. Jack just gave one of his best smiles and refused to say anything else on the subject of the Carter sisters

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The outside of the NGIC was pretty bland. It was your average government building, boring stand-colored stone, windows that looked pretty normal (But everyone knows they're bullet proof), big impressive steps, and people going in and out dressed in suits and shiny black shoes.

Jack, Sue, and Levi made their way through the maze-like halls of the building, "This place is massive."

"I guess so, it's confusing for sure." The trio came upon a hall way that was even more congested and bustling. Jack lead the way past several doors and to the last door before a big open area that reminded Sue of the bullpen back at the Hover Building. The door Jack stopped at looked very official with Gwenyth Carter and Jocelyn Carter written in bold black lettering. With a knock, the door swung open and the first thing that registered with Sue was the mess. Files were piled precariously on the edge of both desks in the room and all the drawers on the small filing cabinet were open and stacked with millions of files. There were two coats on top of a table by the door and the coffee maker next to the coats looked like it was on its last legs. In one corner of the room a potted palm dropped sadly over the desk closest to it, making a sort of canopy.

Jack smiled at her surprised look on her face and called out, "Anybody home?"

Only then did she notice the blond head under the palm leaf and the part of a shoe under the second desk, "WHAT?" someone growled as the shoe disappeared and another blond head rose above the haphazardly stacked files.

The blond haired head was slightly wavy and the hair ended just above the woman's shoulders. She had blue eyes and her high cheek bones gave her an air of royalty. But the half moon bruise under her left eye kind of took away from the whole royalty thing. A frown dominated her features but when she saw Jack a transforming smile lit up her face, "Jackie baby, it's much too long since you visited our humble abode." She stopped when she got a look at Sue, "And you brought us a friend!"

"What happened to you?" Jack asked. "Get into a bar brawl?"

Gwen stuck out a foot with a cast on it, "No I feel down two flights of stairs." Gwen said with obvious sarcasm.

"No you didn't, you-" The second blond head popped up showing a pretty woman who looked slightly younger then the first and she had long, straight blond hair tied up in a bun, big brown eyes and a pretty smile, "Jackie!" She stood up quickly, knocking over a partially big stack of files.

"She still doesn't get my sarcasm." Gwen said crossly, "Nobody ever gets my sarcasm."

"That's because you have a highly developed sarcastic sense…now to the matter at hand." Jack smiled.

Meanwhile, Jocelyn looked down at the file with a slightly stupefied look, as though she didn't know who the files came to be resting in a haphazard pile on the floor, "Oopies Daisies…"

The other woman, Gwen, snorted, "Score one for Jocelyn."

Sue stooped to help Jocelyn picked up the paper and she said with a smile, "Let me help you."

Jocelyn smiled, "That is so nice of you! Gwen would _never ever _do that!"

"You bet, I try to avoid being helpful, studies show that helpfulness can be hazardous to one's health." Gwen said as she took a sip from a coffee mug.

"I'm sorry," Sue said as she put a handful of files on the desk, "I didn't catch all of that."

"I said-" Gwen started but she was cut off by her sister's voice.

"A dog! He's sooo cute! What's his name? Why's he's here? Is he yours? Is-" Jocelyn was cut off by her sister.

"Shut up Josie. She was talking to me." Gwen shot her sister a scornful look.

"How second grade of you Gwen-" This time Sue was the one who cut off the younger sister.

"You two are going to have to speak a little slower, it's hard to read your lips when they're going one hundred miles an hour."

Jack snickered at the confused look on both sisters faces, "That's the fastest either of you have ever stopped talking."

If looks could kill, Jack would have been dead two times over. "What, pray tell, do you mean 'I can't read you lips'?" Jocelyn asked and Gwen nodded.

A smiled danced across her lips, "I'm deaf and I read lips, and Levi," She pointed to her golden-haired dog, "Is my hearing dog. He tells me when someone is trying to get my attention, when the phone rings, stuff like that."

Jocelyn grinned a very childish grin, "AWSOME!"

Gwen's eyebrows creased, "So you must be Sue…Thomas?"

The second part came out almost as a question, "That's me," Sue said, "How did you know who I was?"

"We hear things," Jocelyn started.

"Even way out here in the boonies," Gwen finished.

"And if you are out here in the boonies Jack probably wanted you to meet us…" Jocelyn said as she moved closer to Jack.

Gwen stood up showing the cast on her right leg more clearly as she too moved toward Jack, "And you want some information, right…Sparky?"

Jack nodded as he moved around the sisters and plopped down in Gwen's chair, "Yep."

"Get your butt out of my chair," Gwen said at the same time her sister said, "What kind of information?"

To Gwen Jack grinned, "No."

To Jocelyn, "Information on a gang called the Strikers."

Gwen: "Eww."

Jocelyn: "Agreed, those are some _bad_ people."

Sue looked between the sisters, "I want to know everything about them."

Jocelyn went back to her desk and pulled out the bottom drawer and brought the entire thing to Sue, "This is only half of it. They have their fingers in every crime pie know to man."

"A one stop shop. They are into weapons, drugs, illegal immigration, smuggling, auto theft…" Gwen stopped counting things off on her fingers, "On second thought, let's just say theft. They would steal anything that wasn't glued, screwed, tied down and locked in a concrete bunker."

"In Qatar." Jocelyn added.

"Extortion, they have strong ties to the Black Market and the mob…" Gwen continued.

"Prostitution, kidnapping, killers for hire, arson," Jocelyn paused, "And I could go on."

"'Bad people' seems like an understatement," Jack said and Sue nodded.

"What's worse is they are kind of considered the 'police' of the criminal world," Gwen said. Looking at Jack and Sue's confusion she continued, "They are the ones who kill snitches, make sure nobody rats out on them…or whoever hires them."

"In a sense," Jocelyn continued for her sister, "They uphold the criminal law."

Sue nodded slowly, "We were reading about the rank among the Strikers…what can you tell us about their 'leaders'?"

"There aren't many know. We're pretty sure there are more than just the names we have but the identities are hard to come by."

Jocelyn nodded, "We have lost 5 or 6 people who were going to share that info with us…"

"How?" Jack asked, though he already had a guess to what the answer was.

"They have people on the inside of prison. They were all killed…hung, knifed, shot…" Gwen spoke gravely.

"Do you have a list of names we could have?" Sue asked.

Jocelyn dug through the desk drawer now resting on the edge of the desk and handed Sue a sheet of paper, "Here, we don't have much on them, just names and a few vague descriptions."

"This may sound odd, but do you know if any of them are teenagers?" Sue said as she looked up from the sheet Jocelyn had given her.

A look passed between the sisters and Sue knew she had hit on something, "As a matter of fact, a teenage girl just popped up on our radar a few months ago. It seems she moved up to be the youngest leader. We don't have much on her." Gwen said slowly.

"Do _you_ know something about her?" Jocelyn asked.

"Maybe, was there anything particularly…different about her?" Sue asked.

The sisters looked blank, but a light of remembrance lit up Jocelyn's pretty face, "She's deaf! Like you!"

Jack and Sue's eyes met, "Raven."

**Well there you have it, a REALLY LONG chapter three! This seriously took FOREVER to write…I think the middle was a little choppy but I hope it wasn't too bad. I've been watching the episodes and I am going to give a little statement about the episodes Secret Agent Man and Spy Games. I hate Jessica. And I think that Jack was blinded by her outside beauty and didn't see the rotten core within. But that doesn't make up for his mooning actions over Jessica. Sue is just as pretty and has a much nicer heart. So Jack was being stupid and it seems that he got his pay back. *Sigh* I love Jack and Sue together, my mom and I decided that if the show had gone on the show would have gotten together somehow. Plus I think that Bad Girls was actually the last episode of the third season and they tacked on Endings and Beginnings because PAX cut the money off. Stupid PAX. So I'm hoping somewhere locked in a safe is at least a few un-filmed STFBEyes. Anyway, the actresses I chose were….**

**Gwen Carter: Reese Witherspoon**

**Jocelyn Carter: Jessica Alba **

**Do you like my choices? And as always there are links to pictures of them on my profile!**

**-Agent Striker-**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi again…The reviews were a little on the wimpy side, only three for chapter three (**futuremrshudson**, **Pattyfer78**, and **BonesGurl81**) I have 15 reviews and today I am sick and stayed home. And I just watched a Sue Thomas so I decided I'd update! I think it's really hard to write for TV shows, to me, mine come out sounding…flat. But I think that's because it's a TV show and it's more visual then a book. **

**Oh, and did you all notice the name change? The shows seem to be named after phrases and stuff (Example: **_**Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? **_**Or **_**Simon Says**_**) So I decided to try this and see how y'all like it, it's a song in the musical **_**Annie**_**! Enough, on to chapter four!**

_**Chapter three recap:**_

_"There aren't many know. We're pretty sure there are more than just the names we have but the identities are hard to come by."_

_Jocelyn nodded, "We have lost 5 or 6 people who were going to share that info with us…"_

_"How?" Jack asked, though he already had a guess to what the answer was._

_"They have people on the inside of prison. They were all killed…hung, knifed, shot…" Gwen spoke gravely._

_"Do you have a list of names we could have?" Sue asked._

_Jocelyn dug through the desk drawer now resting on the edge of the desk and handed Sue a sheet of paper, "Here, we don't have much on them, just names and a few vague descriptions."_

_"This may sound odd, but do you know if any of them are teenagers?" Sue said as she looked up from the sheet Jocelyn had given her._

_A look passed between the sisters and Sue knew she had hit on something, "As a matter of fact, a teenage girl just popped up on our radar a few months ago. It seems she moved up to be the youngest leader. We don't have much on her." Gwen said slowly._

_"Do you know something about her?" Jocelyn asked._

_"Maybe, was there anything particularly…different about her?" Sue asked._

_The sisters looked blank, but a light of remembrance lit up Jocelyn's pretty face, "She's deaf! Like you!"_

_Jack and Sue's eyes met, "Raven."_

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"You know her?" Jocelyn's voice was incredulous.

Jack nodded slowly as Sue explained, "We meet her earlier today…"

"What?" Jocelyn's surprised voice came again.

"It's a long story but basically we talked to this super teenaged gang member," Jack paused and looked at his watch, "Two and a half hours ago."

"Elaborate." Gwen said….or commanded as the case may be.

Together Jack and Sue told of the morning's adventures at the hospital. After words the two sisters were quite.

Gwen was the first to speak, "It makes sense…about your informant. And the Hogan Street house isn't used anymore, we've know about it for about a year. Either the girl was lying about living there or the Strikers are going to start using it again."

"I'm leaning toward the former." Jocelyn said as she made her way back to her desk chair and started to tap something on her computer keyboard.

"Me too," Gwen agreed as she picked up something her sister had just printed of a printer that was hidden under the coats on the table.

She handed whatever Jocelyn had printed to Jack and asked something Sue didn't catch. Jack nodded and Gwen turned to Sue with the picture, "This is the girl, right?"

Sue nodded; it was a picture of Raven, except she didn't see the camera or whoever was talking the image. It was a gray day and from the way her hair was flying back behind her, Sue guessed she was running. But there were two things that caught Sue's attention; the first was the look of rebellion and fear on Raven's face and the second was the menacing looking pistol stuck into the waist band of her jeans.

"It was taken about a week and a half ago. After a raid on a Striker where house in northern Virginia…where we lost a good agent." Jocelyn said; something like pain was written across her usually happy face.

Gwen muttered something along the lines of an explicit that Sue didn't catch but she wasn't going to ask her to repeat it.

Jack stood up, "Thanks for all the information…we should get going though."

"You'll give us a call if you come in contact with the girl again?" Gwen asked; her face devoid of emotion.

"Of course." Sue answered moving forward to shake the sisters' hands, "It was really nice to meet you two…Jack was right when he said you were…interesting. Personally I would have said really nice but…"

Sue smiled at the sisters' reaction, "You told her we were interesting?"

Jack ducked out the office, ignoring the cat calls that followed him out the door, laughing, Sue followed her partner out the door.

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The bull pen was buzzing when the trio returned. Bobby, Myles, and Lucy were all gathered around Tara's computer, talking in excited voices.

"What's going on?" Jack asked as he looked between his coworkers' excited faces and his partner's confused one.

"We're getting a new agent…temporally," Lucy replied, an excited smile lighting up her face.

"Really?" Sue asked as she put her purse under her desk. Lucy nodded; the smile still present.

"But I can't seem to find out who it is…but I do know that they aren't that new…as in just out of Quantico new…" Tara said as she stared at her computer screen, her left hand absently playing with a brightly colored Rubik's Cube.

"Where's D?" Jack asked, leaning casually against the front of Tara's desk, trying to get a look at the computer.

"He had to go to something at his son's school," Lucy answered, "He said he'd be back-" She paused and looked at her wrist watch, "In about half an hour."

Suddenly everyone but Sue heard the sound of someone whistling something that resembled Taps. "What?" Sue asked as everyone turned toward the door.

**Someone whistling 'Taps'. **Lucy signed.

Sue shot her roommate a confused look but Lucy just shrugged, directing her attention in the direction of the whistling, joining the rest of the team's looks of intrigue mixed with wonder and a bit of confusion. Standing in the door way at the end of the bull pen that lead right to the elevators was a petite woman with bright red hair tied up in a high pony hail with her, long bangs tucked artfully behind her right ear and her pretty blue eyes were bright and smiling, reminding Sue of a mountain lake in summer. She had a box under on arm and the other resting on her curvy hip. She was beautiful, there was no two ways about it…but the smiles on the faces of her male coworkers were not ones of romantic interest but ones of…recognition.

"Well are all of you going to just stand there and smile or are you going to come over here and greet you new coworker?" The red head said, grinning.

"Aww," Bobby started, "I thought we were going to get someone interesting but instead we get stuck with a sassy red headed monster."

Tara was smiling widely, "I'm glad you're here…you can definitely keep the clowns in line." She stood up and after the red head dropped the box on to a newly placed desk she hugged her and whispered something to her that caused her to emit a lovely looking and sounding laugh.

The woman greeted all the team members (Even Myles) but Sue with a smile, a hug, and a comment. She looked over toward Sue, as if just noticing her, "Ooooo, a newbie!" She said, moving toward Sue like a dog on the scent of some sort of unsuspecting prey.

"Not very new…" Sue said; stepping back slightly as the woman approached.

The red head's shoulders slumped, "Really? Darn…newbies are fun. ..Oh well, I'm Leslie McDaniel…I was forced to work with these guys a few years back. And I went to Quantico with Tara. Just in case you were wondering." Leslie ended with a smile and Sue instantly liked her.

"You enjoyed every second of it and you know it." Jack smiled.

Laughing, Leslie said, "Lies, lies I tell you! It was terrible!"

"I think that Sue should ask Leslie why she left." Myles said with a disturbingly sly grin.

Leslie groaned, "Let's not get into that now-"

"So do you want to tell us why you got transferred again then?" Myles questioned.

"Yea…I heard you through a beer mug at your supervisor and he got a concussion and 25 stitches." Bobby said in a serious manor.

"I heard it was a steaming hot mug of coffee and he had third degree burns on his face and he had to get plastic surgery to fix face." Myles said.

Leslie snorted, "He'd need a lot of surgery to make his face anything near plausible."

"So you did throw it at him?" Myles asked, surprise on his face.

"No…not a coffee mug…"

"Don't keep us in suspense!" Lucy grinned.

Leslie groaned again, "It was an empty martini glass okay, he got 2 stitches and the olive spear thing-y did _not_ give him lock jaw."

"Wow…" Jack said, summing up everyone's feelings.

"It was a slightly a bad move on my part but he totally deserved it…and I got transferred here until they decide what to do with me…this time." Leslie finished.

Jack turned toward Sue, "The only reason she ever gets transferred is because she's in trouble."

Leslie shrugged, "What can I say? It's true."

Before anyone could reply, D breezed into the bullpen, holding a file, "Hey, we've got a new case-Oh, hi Leslie, and it's high profile."

Suddenly the calm office broke into organized frenzy as D called out directions and everyone scurried to start them. It's amazing how quickly calm at the F.B.I can be disrupted.

**I started this chapter like a week ago. I was just BUSY! But I updated and now I expect reviews! And yesterday my computer was being STUPID! Well actually it was 1 AM but who's counting….**

**Agent Striker**


	5. Chapter 5

**Oh my gosh…I can't even being to say how sorry I am for the REALLY LONG update time…I started this chapter on the 1st of January and I have been working on it...then I got a detention for telling this girl she was being a female dog...which she is...but the princeapal got a little steamed...not to mention my parents...so I just got my computer back. So it's not all my fault!**

**Chapter 4 recap: A REALLY long recap…**

_The bull pen was buzzing when the trio returned. Bobby, Myles, and Lucy were all gathered around Tara's computer, talking in excited voices._

_"What's going on?" Jack asked as he looked between his coworkers' excited faces and his partner's confused one._

_"We're getting a new agent…temporally," Lucy replied, an excited smile lighting up her face._

_"Really?" Sue asked as she put her purse under her desk. Lucy nodded; the smile still present._

_"But I can't seem to find out who it is…but I do know that they aren't that new…as in just out of Quantico new…" Tara said as she stared at her computer screen, her left hand absently playing with a brightly colored Rubik's Cube._

_"Where's D?" Jack asked, leaning casually against the front of Tara's desk, trying to get a look at the computer._

_"He had to go to something at his son's school," Lucy answered, "He said he'd be back-" She paused and looked at her wrist watch, "In about half an hour."_

_Suddenly everyone but Sue heard the sound of someone whistling something that resembled Taps. "What?" Sue asked as everyone turned toward the door._

_**Someone whistling 'Taps'. **__Lucy signed._

_Sue shot her roommate a confused look but Lucy just shrugged, directing her attention in the direction of the whistling, joining the rest of the team's looks of intrigue mixed with wonder and a bit of confusion. Standing in the door way at the end of the bull pen that lead right to the elevators was a petite woman with bright red hair tied up in a high pony hail with her, long bangs tucked artfully behind her right ear and her pretty blue eyes were bright and smiling, reminding Sue of a mountain lake in summer. She had a box under on arm and the other resting on her curvy hip. She was beautiful, there was no two ways about it…but the smiles on the faces of her male coworkers were not ones of romantic interest but ones of…recognition._

_"Well are all of you going to just stand there and smile or are you going to come over here and greet you new coworker?" The red head said, grinning._

_"Aww," Bobby started, "I thought we were going to get someone interesting but instead we get stuck with a sassy red headed monster."_

_Tara was smiling widely, "I'm glad you're here…you can definitely keep the clowns in line." She stood up and after the red head dropped the box on to a newly placed desk she hugged her and whispered something to her that caused her to emit a lovely looking and sounding laugh._

_The woman greeted all the team members (Even Myles) but Sue with a smile, a hug, and a comment. She looked over toward Sue, as if just noticing her, "Ooooo, a newbie!" She said, moving toward Sue like a dog on the scent of some sort of unsuspecting prey._

_"Not very new…" Sue said; stepping back slightly as the woman approached._

_The red head's shoulders slumped, "Really? Darn…newbies are fun. ..Oh well, I'm Leslie McDaniel…I was forced to work with these guys a few years back. And I went to Quantico with Tara. Just in case you were wondering." Leslie ended with a smile and Sue instantly liked her._

_"You enjoyed every second of it and you know it." Jack smiled._

_Laughing, Leslie said, "Lies, lies I tell you! It was terrible!"_

_"I think that Sue should ask Leslie why she left." Myles said with a disturbingly sly grin._

_Leslie groaned, "Let's not get into that now-"_

_"So do you want to tell us why you got transferred again then?" Myles questioned._

_"Yea…I heard you through a beer mug at your supervisor and he got a concussion and 25 stitches." Bobby said in a serious manor._

_"I heard it was a steaming hot mug of coffee and he had third degree burns on his face and he had to get plastic surgery to fix face." Myles said._

_Leslie snorted, "He'd need a lot of surgery to make his face anything near plausible."_

_"So you did throw it at him?" Myles asked, surprise on his face._

_"No…not a coffee mug…"_

_"Don't keep us in suspense!" Lucy grinned._

_Leslie groaned again, "It was an empty martini glass okay, he got 2 stitches and the olive spear thing-y did __not__ give him lock jaw."_

_"Wow…" Jack said, summing up everyone's feelings._

_"It was a slightly a bad move on my part but he totally deserved it…and I got transferred here until they decide what to do with me…this time." Leslie finished._

_Jack turned toward Sue, "The only reason she ever gets transferred is because she's in trouble."_

_Leslie shrugged, "What can I say? It's true."_

_Before anyone could reply, D breezed into the bullpen, holding a file, "Hey, we've got a new case-Oh, hi Leslie, and it's high profile."_

_Suddenly the calm office broke into organized frenzy as D called out directions and everyone scurried to start them. It's amazing how quickly calm at the F.B.I can be disrupted._

**LINE BREAK!$#$^&*^(&)(*&#$!~!~!#!$#%!#$%%^%$#&&^%*%*^(&(*)(&)_&+*(+_**

After a few minutes of disorder, the team started to migrate toward the center of the bull pen where D was. He had stuck a picture of a burned out building with a large parking lot surrounding the building on three sides of the four sides on the dry erase board. The second picture he added was a picture of the same building, which turned out to be a car dealership, before the fire. Then D labeled the picture as **Northern River Bend Chevrolet Before**, on the unburned picture and **After **on the other picture.

All the team had gathered around the board and listened as D began to explain the situation, "Alright boys and girls, here's the deal…this is Northern River Bend Chevrolet, a new car dealership in northern Virginia. Early today, this happened," He paused and pointed at the burned out picture, "The building was visited by a suicide bomber."

"What?" The group gasped together.

D nodded gravely, "From what we can piece together, the bomber came in about 7:30a.m., taking three lives, the dealership owner, his secretary, and a salesman. About ten minutes earlier, around 7:20, a call was placed to the DCPD."

"So they knew the bomber was coming?" Myles asked, voicing the confusion for the whole group.

D shook his head, "No, the owner was talking with one Detective Frank Monroe, homicide division. "

Bobby looked at D, "Who placed the call?"

"And why?" piped up Leslie.

D had been adding four pictures to the board. Three of them had arrows from the burned out car dealership. The forth picture was to the left of the one D had labeled as '_owner'_, it was connected by an arrow. The owner himself was a gray haired man with brown eyes and was a little pudgy.

"The owner, Markus Atherton, placed the call…what it was about we haven't been able out find out. It seems that Detective Monroe took a short tip without telling anyone where he was going." D replied, pointing to the fourth picture, a very distinguished, yet frightening looking man with a dark mustache and graying temples

Leslie jumped off the Jack's desk where she had been sitting, moving toward the board, "That's never-" she turned out of Sue's line of sight.

"Can you say that again?" Sue asked, "I read lips, not the backs of heads."

Leslie turned around, "What? Oh, right, I'm sorry…I said that's never a good thing."

Sue nodded, "Okay, thank you."

D took over again, "This," he said pointing to a picture of a blonde haired man that looked to be in his late thirties, early forties with blue eyes, "is Christopher Page…one of the salesmen at the dealership. He always came in early on Tuesdays so that he could leave early and play a round of golf. The secretary, MaryAnn Wong always was in the office at this time." The secretary was a pretty oriental woman with smiling dark eyes and shoulder length shiny black hair

"So…it seems like our first order of business is to find this Monroe guy," Jack said.

Bobby nodded in agreement, "Maybe we can find someone who knew anything about the phone call…and how Monroe knew this car guy."

"And who was this suicide-er? And why would he target a car dealership?" Leslie added.

Sue was looking intently at the first picture of the dealership, "Where are the cars?"

The team turned and faced toward the picture, there weren't any cars in either of the dealership photos.

D looked down at the report in his hands, quickly skimming it, "It doesn't say anything about the cars…"

"Car dealerships usually have cars…so why doesn't this one?" Myles asked.

The group was quite until Leslie broke the thoughtful silence, "I think if we could track down Monroe we would probably find the answer to that question…and the other ones too."

Jack spoke, "I agree, we need to find Monroe."

"Bobby and Myles; get an address and see what his neighbors have to say about him." Tara was already handing Bobby a sheet of paper, "Leslie…go to the PD and see what else you can find out about this guy, who his friends are, where he frequents…you know the drill," Leslie was already grabbing her purse out of the cardboard box, but she turned back to D, instead of leaving, "Jack and Sue, go and to talk to the family of Wong, Atherton, and Page…see if they know anything."

"I object…I want to go with Sue." Leslie said crossing her arms stubbornly.

D rolled his eyes, "Why?"

"Because I want to get to know her better and I hate not having a partner…and I forget how to get to the police department."

Sue glanced at Jack and shrugged, "I don't mind going with Leslie…if that's okay with Jack."

Jack shrugged, "Whatever you want to do is fine with me."

"Are you sure? Because if you-" Sue started.

Leslie rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, "Come on, he'll survive…plus I'm so much more fun." The red head grabbed the other woman's arm and pulled her toward the door.

Sue looked back over her shoulder, giving a slight shrug. And as she stumbled out the door after Leslie, Jack just smiled.

**LINE BREAK_$(#)(&*!#_)*_970869!#$%^&*()+_)(&^%#$%%$#%^#%^^#":?"(*&**

It was a half past eleven when Leslie and Sue left the FBI and about quarter till they arrived at the bustling police department of our capital. The building was a maze of hallways and doors and constant noise. Sue, Leslie, and Levi made their way toward the reception desk where Leslie asked for directions to Frank Monroe's office.

The harassed looking sergeant that was manning the desk gave them directions at the first glitter of a badge, no questions asked. As the two women and the dog moved down the hall Leslie spoke, "Okay…so I've been dying to ask you this question since I met you…and I hope I won't offend or embarrass you, and I am _so_ curious…but come to think of it, I have kind of have that affect of ninety percent of the people I meet…"

Sue laughed, "Okay, go ahead and ask…I don't think you're going to offend me."

Leslie nodded, "Good…okay, so…were you born deaf…and how long have you had a crush on Jack?"

Sue blushed bright red, "Umm, I wasn't born deaf; I went deaf when I was about eighteen months old."

They were quickly approaching the detective's office…and from the look on Sue's face she wished they would get there faster.

"You didn't answer my other question." Leslie smirked.

They had arrived in a bright hallway and the third door on the left was labeled in bold letters Frank Monroe. Sue turned the knob and glanced over her shoulder and, "Sorry, I missed that, what did you say?"

Leslie opened her mouth to say something but she never had the chance. Sue pulled the heavy door back and gasped in surprise. Leslie moved behind Sue at lightning speed to see what was the matter. Expecting to see an average police officers office, both women were shocked to see the room in shambles. All the file drawers were open and files were flung haphazardly over every flat surface. The desk drawers had all been pulled out and the contents dumped on to the floor and desk then hastily searched. The desk chair was in front of the desk and its seat and back had been sliced and the stuffing was pulled out. There was a potted plant in the corner had been yanked out of its pot and the soil dug through. The window blinds had to been desiccated, they lay near the potted plant on the floor.

Sue looked back at Leslie, "I guess someone beat us here…"

"In more ways than one," Leslie finished moved past Sue and made her way over to one of the filing cabinets, squatted down and moved a sheet of paper, revealing two things, one, a red stain on the floor and two, a .45 automatic pistol.

Leslie looked up into Sue's face, "I guess we aren't going to find much in here."

Sue was pulling out her blackberry, but she nodded, "I'll call D, we should get the guys from the lab over here."

Leslie stood up, "How did you know I was thinking that…we must be on the same wave length! That means we should work together more often…well unless Jack gets lonely…"

Sue paused her dialing to blush, then try to cover it up with a smile and rolling of her eyes, "Whatever you say Leslie."

**Commercial Break**

**Okay, so there you have the end of the chapter…it was short-ish and choppy I know but please don't give up…this is a little bit of a filler, and don't worry I will update in the next two weeks!**

**The actors:**

**Frank Monroe- **Tom Sellick

**Markus Atherton-(Car dealership owner) **Robert De Niro

**Christopher Page- (Salesman) **Edward Norton

**MaryAnn Wong- (Secretary) **Lucy Lui

**I know that ¾ of these people are dead and are only being used as pictures but I needed something to describe. SO there! And as always there are links to pictures on my profile!**

**Love,**

**Agent Striker**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey again, I'd really like to thank my 77 readers…and my reviewer, **4mom**. You have no idea what your little review meant to me!**

Early the next morning found the team gradually tricking in. They had all been at work entirely too late the night before, but it was part of the job that couldn't be helped. There were calls to be made, test to be run, results to track down and a whole host of other things to get done. The blood on the floor of Monroe's office had been identified and the type matched Monroe.

This was not a good sigh…or a good way to start a morning:

The fall weather had come crashing down in a rain storm of such proportions it seemed as though the entire city might float away. The rain was falling in merciless sheets outside and the thunder rumbled and the lightning flashed across the sky. The floors of the Hover Building were wet, slippery and all around treacherous.

Slowly the office's occupants tricked in. D was the first; he arrived early, (which in itself was highly unusual), dropped his coat at his desk and left again. Tara came next; she hung her coat up, started the coffee and logged on to both of the computers that made themselves at home on her desks. Sue and Lucy came in a few minutes later, talking happily about the latest episode of American Idol, "I can't say how he sang," Sue smiled over her shoulder as she hung up her jacket, "But he was definitely entertaining to watch!"

"Trust me; all those moves were the only entertaining thing about him. I'm pretty sure that Levi could sing better than him…right boy?" Levi barked his consent.

Sue laughed and turned toward her desk just as Jack and Bobby loudly entered, conversing over something sports related, "You are _insane_!"

"I am not! The ball hit the ground before he caught it!" Jack countered.

"You were the only one that saw it then, because I don't recall the ref calling it." Bobby grinned as he dropped his wet jacket on his chair.

"And when are you getting those glasses, Crash?" Jack muttered under his breath as he hung his jacket up.

Bobby turned around, "Sue, what did he just say?"

Sue smiled, "Are you sure that you want to know?"

Before he could answer, a figure in a long black jacket with a hood tripped/fell into the bull pen, along with a box of papers that promptly flew throughout the room. A string of curse words followed, of which Sue was the only one lucky enough to miss.

From her position on the floor, Leslie reached up and pushed her hood back and dismally surveyed the papers, "I guess I shouldn't wear heels when it rains."

A few seconds later, Myles appeared in the door way with an umbrella in hand. He paused, looked distastefully at the scene before him, "Really Leslie, if you're going to make a mess at least make it at your own desk…and try not to block the doorway."

He proceeded around the disaster zone, narrowly missing Leslie's hand as she reached out to trip him. More muttered cursing as she grabbed papers by the handful and stuffed them back in the box while the rest of the team watched.

Sue, being the good-natured person that she is, bent down to help her, "Here you go."

Leslie smiled gratefully, "Thanks...I love how Sue, who I met yesterday, is the only person who helped me pick up this mess when I've known the rest of you for years. Really, thanks a lot guys."

This again caused more good natured laughter and a sarcastic comment from Myles, "The key to that is Sue hasn't know you for more than two days."

Leslie's only reply was, "Some things never change, Harvard Snobs grow into old Harvard Snobs."

And so the day began.

**

* * *

**

"I've got statements from Monroe's coworkers…they all basically say the same thing, keeps to himself, hard to the point of being cold…but a great cop. No one had anything really bad to say about him at all. And neighbors said that he was nice, the quite type." Tara said, flipping through the pages in her hand.

From where he was leaning against the front of his desk, Jack spoke up, "What about his family?"

Tara flipped through the papers again, "He's a widower, no children… and no other relatives."

"Friends outside of work?" Bobby asked.

"None that we can find," Tara fired back.

"So Mr. Good Cop, who has very little life, receives a call from a car dealership owner…a man that he may or may not know…then the carless-car-dealership gets blown up by a suicide bomber, for no apparent reason…then the cop disappears. Okay, all this information doesn't add up to zilch."

"Christ, thanks for summing that all up for us Myles." Leslie deadpanned.

"What?" Myles asked, "What did I do?"

It was Lucy who answered, "You are so dense."

"What. Did. I. Do."

The whole team was now snickering, but it was Jack it that spoke, "Okay…while I'd love to sit here and watch Myles be harassed, but we do have work to do."

"Ahh, it seems old Sparky finally grew up." Leslie giggled.

Jack, grinning, opened his mouth to make a reply, was interrupted by the arrival of D, "I think I might have something."

He held up a sheet of paper, "I have the address of Frank Monroe's summer cabin…who wants to check it out?"

"Summer cabin?" Myles stood up and reached for the paper, "Where?"

"Do you want to go and check it out?" D asked, moving the paper out of reach.

Rolling his eyes impatiently, Myles again reached for the paper, "Sure. Now let me see the paper!"

D moved the paper again, "And do you want a partner?"

"Sure-" Myles started.

"Okay then…Bobby, how would you like to take a road trip with Myles?" D interrupted.

Bobby flashed a patented smile, "I'm game…but it might be nice to know where we're going."

D smiled, "Sold."

He handed Myles the paper, and the 'Snob' promptly read the address, "Rural Route 9, Spring Stream, West Virginia…oh no, I have no interest in driving hundreds of miles to look at some hick cabin right in the middle of nowhere."

"Sorry Myles, you wanted it and you got it."

"Sounds like fun, I've never been to West Virginia," Bobby remarked as he yanked the paper from Myles's hands, "When do we leave."

Myles looked like he would rather spit on West Virginia then visit there, but he listened to Demetrius, "You leave this afternoon…hopefully you should be able to make it there by mid afternoon tomorrow."

"And if we get there and don't find anything…this'll be a wasted trip. Why don't we just have the police there check out the cabin?" Myles complained.

"The local police can't do it for us because what if they do find Monroe? We would have to send someone down to get him or bring him here…And the trip won't be a waste, you'll get to see some of America's most hidden gems."

"Joy."

The laughter that followed seemed to make the day just a little bit brighter.

**

* * *

**

While Myles and Bobby went home to pack for their upcoming trip, the rest of the team went back to work. D disappeared again, off to see if the lab had anything new for him since the last time he had talked to them. Leslie plopped down at her desk and tried to put her files back together without blasphemy or cursing. Tara was just about to start something else on her computers when something spurted out of the printer; it was a picture with the banner missing across the top. The next two pages were information to go along with the picture.

"Sue, Jack…come here for a second." Tara motioned with her left (coffee-mug-holding) hand, skimming the papers in her right.

The two agents headed for Tara's desk, "What's up?" Jack asked.

"Here's that stuff you asked for on that girl…the deaf one."

"Oh great, thanks Tara." Jack said reaching for the papers…but Sue beat him to it, "Thanks Tara." She started to read without even glancing at her partner.

"No problem," Tara snickered as she sat back down.

Jack just rolled his eyes and moved to stand beside Sue. She must have seen him out of the corner of her eye because she handed him the top picture. It was of a girl of about eight years old with long black braids. The caption underneath looked something like this:

**Name: **_Liza Black_

**Age: **_9_

**Height: **_4"2'_

**Weight: **_68 lbs._

**Distinguishing Features: **_Has been deaf since birth, an excellent signer and reads lips moderately well. Speaking is limited and word patterns highly irregular. _

**Last Seen: **_10/11/04: Was seen in the Arlington, VA area, running from her current guardian's home._

_Also sought for questioning in the shooting of her guardian, April Harrison, 32. _

As Jack was just reading this information, Sue was reading on about the life of this girl called Liza Black…

_1/2/02: Liza Black was taken from an abusive home at the age of 7. Her father Martin Black, an alcoholic, left the girl with her mother when she was about 3 years old. Has not been located. Mother Marcia Ames-Black, a heavy drug user often beat the child for minor things. Disappeared the day before the child was taken into foster care. Not located._

_2/22/02: Placed in foster home. Liza shows signs of anger management problems and seems to have problems properly communicating her feelings, needs, and wants. _

_2/26/02: Liza broke the arm of a 12 year old girl in her foster home. Has been moved to another home._

_3/31/02: Liza attempted to steal $150 from her foster family._

_4/21/02: Liza stole and attempted to sell a valuable watch from foster mother. _

_9/12/02: Liza again stole from her foster family. Is being moved to another foster home._

_1/15/03: Liza ran away from her home. Was found trying to hitchhike to Washington D.C._

_3/16/03: Liza was given a two week school suspension for setting eight fires through the school._

_6/12/03: Liza again ran away from home. Was found attempting to hot wire a car. _

_7/1/03: Liza was moved to a different foster home._

_7/30/03: Liza was arrested for gang related activates._

_9/23/03: Liza was again arrested. She is being moved to another foster home._

_1/13/04: Liza actually seems to be doing alright at her new foster home._

_8/14/04: Liza was arrested for starting a fire at the library. Suspected gang relations._

_10/11/04: Liza has run away. Is being sought for questioning in murder of her guardian. Has not been located. _

Dazed, Sue handed Jack the papers she had been reading. He in turn gave the picture back to her and started to read.

Sue studied the picture closely, she saw a cute little girl who had one heck of a life…and was now using the name Raven living in downtown D.C.

Jack look up and met his partner's eyes, "It's her."

"I know."

"She lied right to our faces."

"I know."

"We need to find her."

"How?"

"I _don't_ know."

* * *

**There! The end…of this chapter. I'm going to apologize again, I really do try and update this story a lot, but it's hard to write…I would say more but it's 12:30 am and I want to update and go to bed. **

**Lots of reviews please,**

**Agent Striker**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, today is Friday March 11…and I'm informing you of this to prove how soon after I updated! Anyway, this is a bit of a filler, funny chapter…so enjoy it! And just FYI no one has reviewed yet, so if you are going to review this chapter, feel free to review one of the other ones as well…**

Somewhere in Southern West Virginia:

_While part of the team was battling the rain in our nation's capital, the two MIA agents were battling the locals in a small town which they hadn't figured out the name of yet…_

It was a surprisingly a nice day when they drove into town, Bobby was at the wheel while Myles attempted to navigate, "Wait, what did that sign say?"

"What sign?"

"The one you just drove by!" Myles groaned.

Bobby glanced back, "I didn't see any sign."

Another groan, "If you weren't driving so fast you wouldn't have missed it."

"Do you want me to run out of gas in the middle of nowhere?" he asked, glancing at the gas gauge.

"What? You don't drive faster when you're running out of gas, you drive slower!" Myles leaned toward his partner.

"Oh."

"Don't just sit there, find a gas station!"

"Gotcha," Bobby said as he accelerated.

"And slow down!"

**

* * *

**

All of Bobby's fast driving finally caught up with him, the two agents were insight of a gas station when the car started to sputter…and Bobby sped up. The latter action caused Myles to regret ever joining the FBI...especially as they sped down the hill and screamed into the parking lot. Glancing at the man in the passenger seat, Bobby grinned, "I told you that the faster you drive, the faster you get to a gas station!"

Myles ignored this and stepped out of the car, seeing an old man sitting in a broken down lawn chair in front of the building called to him, "Hey, is this a self-service station?"

"Ah, nope," the man said as he pulled himself out of the chair.

"Can you tell us which way to Spring Stream?" Bobby asked the gas station attendant as he approached.

"Huh?"

"I said, can you tell us which way to Spring Stream?" Bobby yelled.

"What you yellin' fer young fella?" the old man looked up, but before Bobby could answer, he bent back toward the gas pump, "Foreigners, takin' over the whole blasted country."

Bobby just laughed, but Myles groaned, "He said, WHICH WAY TO SPRING STREAM?"

The old man looked Myles over, then spit a long stream of brown liquid between his feet, "Ain't they teach you Northerners any manners?"

"Sorry mate, he didn't mean anything by it…gets grouchy when he hasn't eaten…but as we were saying, can you point us in the direction of Spring Stream?"

"Got lots of springs 'round here, streams 'n creeks too…"

"So we've seen…now can you give us the directions?" Myles asked angrily.

The old man turned toward Myles and fixed his beetle eyes on him, "Don't much like bossy Northerners 'round these parts…"

"If you'd help us, we'd be gone a whole lot faster," Myles stated.

"Don't know, don't care," The man said, "And that'll be 55 even for the gas."

**

* * *

**

Bobby glanced over his shoulder as he and Myles walked down the small street in the town they had yet to find out the name of, "That was a great move Myles, that old guy probably has the entire town pitted against us…haven't you ever seen_The Texas Chainsaw Massacre_?"

Myles looked disgusted, "Lelands do not watch third rate horror flicks…and we aren't in Texas…so what does it matter?"

"Thanks for pointing that out for me Myles," he paused to smile at a girl passing by him, who wrinkled her nose in distaste, "And the location isn't the important…it's the story," Bobby paused and didn't speak again until the two had been seated at a corner table in the town's little café, "This guy and his family are cannibals-"

"Is this necessary, I'm trying to order something to eat here," Myles grimaced, skimming the short menu, "Not that there's really much here…"

Bobby continued on unfazed, "And basically the town people don't want anyone told because of what might happen…there's a lot more gore and stuff in there too, but that doesn't matter-"

"If it doesn't matter then why are you telling me about it?" Myles deadpanned.

"What matters is that all small towns have some terrible secret that they're willing to kill other people, aka people new to the town, to protect the secret…and pissing off the gas station man might not have been a smart move," Bobby finished, glancing around the room.

Myles rolled his eyes, "Really Bobby, I thought you were more level headed than that. That's all just fiction, the towns people aren't planning on murdering us, trust me."

Bobby nodded, "Whatever you say…let's just order, find Spring Stream, and Monroe then get back to D.C."

Myles rolled his eyes again as the waitress approached, wishing he was anywhere but where he was at the present moment.

**

* * *

**

About two hours later found Myles and Bobby standing on the driveway of Rural Route 9, Spring Stream West Virginia. It had turned out that they had been in Spring Stream the whole time…and the only reason it took them that long to find the house was the faulty directions the waitress had given them. "I told you," Bobby had said, "They're trying to get us lost so that we die out in the wilderness…or so that they can finish us off."

Myles had groaned for the hundredth time, "You're crazy; we don't have anything to worry about."

But now as they stood outside the little run down cabin, there was a nervousness in the air. "Well, you lead the way Myles," Bobby said cordially.

"Oh no, not me. You should go first and learn to face you're fears," Myles said, pushing the Aussie toward the door.

"I'm not afraid, I just thought you might want to go first," Bobby muttered as he approached the door, pulling his gun out of his holster.

"What's that for?" Myles asked.

"Just in case."

"In case of what?" Myles asked, but he too had his gun out of his holster.

Bobby glanced back and grinned, "The same reason you have yours out."

A few seconds later, the duo reached the door and Myles knocked while Bobby covered him, "FBI, open up!" he called as the door swung open.

Myles glanced at Bobby, he just shrugged. Myles pushed the door open more with his shoe, the house still quiet. The cabin was small; there was one main room and two other doors. Now standing inside of the doorway with Myles standing to his left and slightly behind him, Bobby motioned for Myles to check out the door on the back wall while he got the one on the right.

In three swift steps, Bobby was across the room and yanked the door back. It was a closet, with just two thick winter jackets hanging up, with a rifle and a box of ammunition on the shelf above it.

Bobby turned around to comment on the closet's contents as Myles started to pull open the door, (he had stopped to glance around the room a little more than his partner did), and was half way into the door way when there was a crash and a man about 6"4' stumbled toward Myles with another rifle in his hands, but before either of the agents could react, the tall man tumbled to the floor.

Both agents gasped, jumping back. The man moaned, and they bent down to him, it was Monroe.

"What happened? Who did this to you?" Bobby asked leaning over the man, seeing the blood that covered his shirt and hands.

"Najjar," he rasped, "Beware of Najjar," and with a final cough, all was silent.

"Najjar?" Myles said, glancing at his partner.

Bobby shrugged and started to say something but there was the sound of voices behind them, "Alright boys, don't move."

The agents slowly turned to see five men (with large guns) crammed into the door way, with just one familiar face, the gas station attendant.

"I told ya they would cause trouble," the gas station attendant growled, "What we goin' to do with 'em?"

One of the men stepped forward, "Drop your gun boy, less you wanna go to the grave holdin' 'em."

The guns hit the floor with a unanimous thump, "We can explain," Bobby said, reaching for his pocket, "We're-"

"Ya deaf or somethin', I said don't move!" The first man growled, cocking his rifle at Bobby.

"We work for-" Myles tried.

"Enough jabberin', stand up and walk yourselves right on over here and keep your hands up where we can see 'em," one of the other men in the door way said.

"Where are you taking us?" Bobby asked.

The group was making their way toward a truck parked behind their car, "Yous goin' fer a little ride," the gas station attendant grinned toothlessly, "A nice, long ride."

"I told you Myles," Bobby muttered.

One of the men glanced at him, but didn't say anything. They reached the truck and the man with the rifle pulled open the tailgate to reveal trash, dirt, hay, straw, and some unidentifiable items, "In."

Bobby stepped forward and gracefully jumped into the bed, kicking his way through the junk. Myles however wasn't planning on being as sociable, "Umm…no."

The man turned to him, "What did you just say?"

"I said no…as in no way am I getting in that filthy, germ infested rat's nest, Lelands do not ride in filthy truck beds."

"I don't care what ya are, git in," the man snarled, "and don't talk tarsh 'bout my truck."

"Can't one of your little cronies ride in the back and I'll take his seat?" Myles tried.

One of the men, who happened to be around 6"6, glared at him, "Who you calling…little?"

Myles gulped, "Or large cronies as the case might be but-"

"Git in or I'll _throw _ya in," the man snarled.

"Alright, I'm going no need to get nasty!" Myles said as he carefully got into the back of the truck.

The guy muttered something that neither of the agents caught as he and his gang headed toward the cab of the truck.

"Nice going Myles," Bobby said as he settled down on to the floor of the bed.

Myles, who was still standing up looked down at Bobby, "Now what?"

The truck sputtered and died, the agent's conversation continued, "You're pitting the entire town against us, mate."

Again the truck's motor refused to turn over, "You have to admit, the truck is a dump."

"You don't just say that to a guy carrying a gun, it's not a bright move…and don't you think you'd better sit down?"

"No way I'm sitting down, will you look at the mess?"

There was a loud cough and the truck's diesel engine started with a bang and the truck flew forward, sending Myles tumbling(rear-end first)…right into one of those unidentifiable piles of stuff…wet, gooey stuff.

Bobby roared with laughter, "Because that'll happen!"

Myles looked at the sky, which was starting to show signs of rain, "Why me?"

* * *

**That was a really random chapter with little point…other then the Monroe part…and so yea…anyway I randomly picked five actors as the 5 men…they have like no lines and they are all big actors so it's just silly….anyway here they are(And links are on my profile):**

**The 5 Men:**

**Gas Station Attendant: **Morgan Freeman

**Tall Guy: **Ryan Stiles

**Gun Guy: **Vin Diesel

**Guy 4: **Hugh Grant

**Guy 5: **Josh Holloway

**Please review!**

**A.S.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long update time…but I have a life outside of FanFic (not that most of it is any better…) and I've been busy…**Hope06 **was my only reviewer (Love you!)…but the more encouragement the faster I write. Anyway…**

Leslie McDaniel sat at her desk surveying the mess with a dismal frown. It was her lunch hour and she really wished that she wasn't here, alone in the office. She pushed some papers in to some semblance of a pile and then adjusted the tilt of her computer screen. More paper shuffling, more procrastinating. She sighed, again wishing she was anywhere else.

Just as she turned toward her pile again, there was the sound of footsteps and the click of toenails. Leslie looked up, "Hey Sue!"

Setting her jacket down, Sue smiled, "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Leslie frowned and poked the pile of papers on her desk, "I'm trying to organize my life…it's the only bad part of changing jobs so much."

Sue cocked an eyebrow, "The only bad part?"

"Yep," Leslie nodded, "I like change…to much of the same old thing bores me to death."

Sue sat down at her desk, "Change is good, but isn't changing jobs all the time unsettling?"

"Not really," Leslie laughed cynically, "it's not like I have a life outside of work," Sue could see something on the other woman's face, but it was quickly replaced with a smile, "So what are you doing back so early?"

"I need to make a phone call," She picked up her black berry from the desk, "But I forgot my phone, so I decided just to come back."

Leslie sighed, "I guess that means that I have to stop bothering you and get back to my paperwork."

Sue laughed, "I guess so."

Leslie frowned, but got back to work. Sue plugged her blackberry into the computer and grabbed her microphone. She dialed a young man's number, a man named Keith Glover.

"Hello?" the computer screen read…otherwise known as Keith Glover.

"Hi Keith, it's Sue Thomas, you left me a message?"

"Oh hi Sue," if she had been hearing, Sue would have heard the young man move away from where he was eating lunch with the rest of his coworkers, "Umm, well you said to call you if I remembered anything else about…well you know."

"About the shooting," Sue answered.

"Yea that. Well the more I think about it, the more it seems to me like there was someone else there….like a look out or something."

"Why do you say that?" Sue asked.

"I was thinking about that night and one of the details seemed funny to me. After he shot me, I was laying in the alley, right? Well, I turned my head to watch him go…kinda a little out of it, and it seemed like he slapped the wall…I was right on the verge of blacking out and it almost seemed like the shadow moved. Looking back, he could have been slapping someone on the shoulder or something like that."

"And that explains the moving shadow, it might have been the person walking away," Sue paused for a moment, lost in thought, "Can you remember _anything _else? It could be very important."

There was a few seconds of quite on the other end of the line, "Not really, but I think the person might have been small."

"Small?"

"Kinda short and thin…otherwise I think I would have seen him or her better."

Sue nodded, her mind racing, "Oh, alright…I'll look into it Keith, you just make sure that you watch your back."

"I will…bye."

Sue clicked off her blackberry and unhooked it from the computer. Slowly, almost methodically, she placed the microphone into one of her desk drawers. She was still lost in thought a few minutes later when Jack and D, closely followed by Tara and Lucy entered the bull pen.

"Jack," Sue called out.

Jack spun around, a handsome grin on his handsome face, "Yep?"

"I was just talking to Keith Glover and he thinks he remembered something about the shooting," Sue stated.

"What?" Jack asked, moving toward his coworker's desk.

"He's moderately sure that there was another person there…like a watch out."

"Why didn't he tell us that when we talked to him earlier?"

Sue shrugged, "I'm not really sure, he said he had just been thinking about it and it seemed like the man that shot him slapped the wall, something that seemed odd. He also thought that he saw the shadow move, and looking back he thinks it might have been a slight person."

Jack nodded slowly, "Well, it makes sense to have a look out…but since Keith didn't get a real look at the person, it's not going to help our case."

"That's true…but…" Sue started.

"But what?" Jack asked.

"I don't really know…it just seems like something that might be useful," Sue smiled apologetically.

Jack laughed as he headed back to his desk, turning toward Sue again he said, "You never know, it just might."

* * *

"Hey guys," Tara called out from her desk a short time later, her eyes scanning her computer screen, "Look at this."

All eyes went to the TV screen in the back of the room, where there was a picture of what looked like an x-ray of a set of jaw bones. There were something off thought…it almost looked like there were screws where about 16 of the teeth should be.

"These are the jaw bones of our bomber's teeth…it's about the only thing identifiable…" Tara gave a small, disgusted shutter, but she continued, "See all those screw things? Well, those are tooth implants…nasty looking and probably nasty feeling…its basic screws in your gums with teeth on top. The best part of all is this is that because he had 17 out of his 32 teeth with implants, it was really easy to id him. His name is Kamal Najjar," She paused and scrolled down on the computer screen, "Twenty-five, was arrested for transporting cocaine…was an addict, checked into rehab about three years ago…was there for almost a year and was doing great but left suddenly about a year and a half ago. Nothing else since then."

"Until now," Jack commented quietly, so quietly that the only person that caught it was Sue.

"What about his family and the people close to him?" D asked.

There was some heavy duty speed reading, "Umm, oh, his father, Ibrahim Najjar, and his brother, Aahil Najjar, are the only living relatives, and there aren't any known associates-oh, except Kurt Martins," a picture of a young man around twenty-three or twenty-four with light blue eyes and dark hair replaced the dental records.

"That's yummy," commented Leslie.

"That's creepy," Jack replied.

"That's Kurt Martins," Tara finished.

D rolled his eyes, "So, we need to check out Kurt Martins, and Ibrahim and Aahil Najjar…Leslie and I will talk to the Najjars and you and Sue can talk to Martins," D said to Jack. Turning to Tara he said, "Do you have addresses?"

Tara nodded, handing out the sheets of papers.

"I object!" Leslie whined.

"I knew you would," D rolled his eyes, "you want to go and interview 'yummy', right?"

She nodded, her whole body rising with her smile, "You got it."

"Well, all the better to not talk to him, we don't want you to get distracted, do we?"

There was a visible shoulder slump as she grudgingly picked up her coat, "Guess not."

Jack laughed, D rolled his eyes again, "Let's go, Red."

As the two left the bull pen, the final part of their conversation floated back, "Don't call me Red, my hair isn't red."

"Then what color is it?"

"Strawberry blonde."

Tara and Lucy shared an eye roll, Jack laughed softly, waiting for Sue to get her jacket. The duo (plus Levi) walked slowly to the elevator. Sue had been unusually quiet since the day before Jack had noticed; **"Are you okay?" **he slowly signed and spoke.

Sue jerked to attention, "Oh, yea I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Because if you're lying to me, I'll get the real reason out of you; I am one of the FBI's best interrogators," Jack teased as they stepped into the elevator.

Sue smiled; a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, but a smile none the less, "Cross my heart, I'm fine."

Jack knew she was lying…but he didn't push the subject, if she wanted to talk about it, she would, so he just smiled.

**So what did you think, good or bad? It's knid of a long chapter without much information(speaking of info, if the whole tooth implant thing is wrong, sorry!)…but I thought I'd make it a little more interesting with this little section called ****What Leslie Would Have Done****. This is basically some little sections of the show that might have been different if Leslie had been in them…okay:**

The Episode Troy Story  
If Leslie had been with Bobby instead of Tara when he asked if there was anything wrong with him for 'not being able to make a commitment to Darcy', Leslie: "You've got to be kidding. You have not one but TWO dimples and an accent…*Bobby looks like he wants more input*…Enough said."  
Troy Story  
When the team heads to Petey's Piercing Palace, Leslie: "Petey's Piercing Palace…ha, say that three times fast, Petey's Piercing Palace, Petey's Piercing Palace, Petey's Piercing Palace, Petey's Piercing Palace…"

The Episode Secret Agent Man

When Jessica is flirting with Jack (Talking about his washboard abs, haha, dreamy), Leslie, *Hacking/Coughing Noises*, (To the rest of the team) "Aghh," pause for breath, "too," another pause, "much," third pause, "flirting," pause _again_, "Must get to fresh air!" *Theatrically exits bull pen*

**There might be more later on, I just thought you might enjoy that. I haven't picked out the actors for the new characters, so if you have any good Middle Eastern actors, so feel free to drop me a line! Oh, but Robbie Amell is the 'Yummy' guy!**

**Agent Striker **

**P.S. I tried to update this story on April 11****th****, but the fan fiction uploading thing was having issues, and today (the 12****th****) it raining and that means my internet isn't working…I kind of have crudy internet, I live out in the boonies. **

**A.S. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! Not too bad of on update time, yes? Thanks to **Hope06 **and **proudtobeamerican18** for reviewing! You are such sweethearts! And thanks to my 47 readers from last chapter! I **_**really**_** like reviews people!**

Spring Stream Jail

Spring Stream, West Virginia 

_Where our two MIA agents are trying very hard to convince the locals that they are FBI agents and in the process find out some very interesting things about the late Frank Monroe._

"I already told you what my name is, Myles Leland III!" Myles slapped the bars of the jail cell he was sharing with Bobby in frustration.

Sheriff Hatley was a tall, thin balding man of about sixty. His nose was very long, his eyes were an intelligent blue-gray, and he had been sheriff in Spring Stream for going on forty years. The people of this town didn't like change, and to tell the truth neither did he. The sheriff was now looking down his long nose at Myles, "There's no need to get all bent out of shape young man."

Myles looked like he was going to hit something (or someone) when the sheriff spoke again, "Now…you say you work for the FBI…"

"And we were sent down here to talk to Frank Monroe." Bobby finished, leaning heavily against the iron bars.

"The man that five witnesses saw you standin' over…" The sheriff paused, "And he was dead."

"Like we told you," Bobby groaned, "We were sent down here to talk to Monroe for a case we're working on. When we got down here and found his cabin, he was injured and dying."

The sheriff didn't look overly impressed, "I see…since you won't tell us about this case-"

"Because we're not allowed to!" Bobby cut in.

"we're trying to get in touch with your superiors …" the sheriff continued, not looking pleased that he had been interrupted to begin with.

"I don't like that word 'trying'," Myles spoke, looking slightly nervous.

The sheriff again looked disgusted, "But we're having some trouble gettin' through. The storm last week knocked out the line and it's still a little bit slow. But there's nothin' to worry 'bout, we've got Dot down at the phone company trying to get through…she'll call me if she gets somethin'…and until then you get to stay here in our nice little jail cell. And just you're luck, Betty over at the diner is sending over one of her girls with a little snack for you."

"Joy," Myles deadpanned, "More rubber food from a nowhere 'diner', just what I need."

The deputy that stood near the sheriff was about 6"4', well muscled and very devoted to the sheriff…and he really didn't like it when people mouthed off to him. So as the deputy followed the sheriff out, he pulled out his bobby stick from his belt and ran it along the bars…and right over Myles fingers.

"AHH!" Myles yelled as he jumped back.

While Bobby was laughing the deputy was glaring at Myles, "I don't like that back attitude, just so ya know."

And the day continued on a downhill.

* * *

"Najjar…that's bothering me, who or what is Najjar?" Myles mused out loud from where he was sitting on the hard spring-less bunk.

"And why did Monroe come down here? Was he already hurt…if so why didn't he go to the hospital?" Bobby paced.

"And if he wasn't injured, who followed him from DC down to this speck on the map," Myles paused, again looking like he would rather have spit on West Virginia then ever visit there, "And why?"

"I wonder if Monroe-" Bobby stopped his question at the sound of the door between the main sheriff's office and the lock up opened to reveal the deputy nudging a skinny red haired girl of about fifteen or sixteen through the door. The girl had on a blue t-shirt and a pair of ratty jeans and she was carrying a covered tray.

"Here's your lunch," the deputy spoke in his heavy West Virginian accent.

The girl stepped into the cell and shoved the tray in Bobby's direction as soon as the deputy had opened the door. Stepping back out, she turned toward the deputy, "Betty told me to wait for the tray…I can just wait here."

The deputy nodded, "Alright, but stay away from the bars and holler for me when they're through."

The girl nodded and the deputy disappeared through the door again, leaving it slightly ajar, "Umm, excuse me?" the girl said in her soft voice.

"Yep?" Bobby smiled.

She blushed and looked at her holey sneakers, "You two were talking about someone named Monroe when we came in…were you talking about Frank Monroe?"

"Yes we were? Did you know him?" Myles asked, standing up and moving toward the front of the cell, causing the girl to take a timid step back.

She nodded, "He came to the diner a lot when he was in town and he's our neighbor so I know him pretty well…so why were _you_ talking about him?"

The agents exchanged a glance, "We're agents with the FBI and we came down here to talk to him, but it was already too late."

"Too late?" The girl looked confused.

"They didn't tell you?" Bobby asked. The girl shook her head and Bobby continued in a kind voice, "He was killed earlier this afternoon."

"What?" The girl's already pale skin went paler and her hand reached for the key that hung around her neck, "I knew he worked in Washington DC as a police officer…but I saw him here yesterday, he gave me…so that means…he was here…when…and the sheriff is going to have to investigate." her skin got paler still, whether it was from the news of Monroe's death or the thought about the sheriff, the agents didn't know.

"I'm sure the sheriff will do a fine job investiaging," Myles lied, "Can you tell us anything else?"

The girl looked nervous and began to pull on the chain around her neck in earnest, obviously trying to decide what to say next, "I doubt he'll know what to do," she said, jerking her free hand over her shoulder, "There's never been a real murder in Spring Stream…only when Mrs. Olson pushed her husband off that ladder…but the whole town saw it, so it doesn't even count…I'd bet ol'e Hatley wouldn't know how to start a murder investigation if the answer bit him in the butt." She was rambling, pulling harder on the chain, looking tremendously nevvous, when suddenly the chain in her hand snapped.

She stopped talking and looked down at the key and chain resting in her palm, as if wondering how it got there, "I guess that's a sign," she said quietly, still studying the key, "yesterday when Mr. Monroe came into the diner, he seemed kind of nervous and upset. When I asked him what was on his mind, he wouldn't answer, but he asked me to keep this key for him…and to give it to the proper authorities if anything ever happened to him…I had no idea that it would really happen…I just thought…I don't know but here," she shoved the key into Myles's hand.

"What's your name?" Myles asked, pocketing the key.

"Colton, Colton Hendrix," She turned toward the door, pulling it open, "Deputy, they're all done, I need to get the tray and get back to work."

"Do you know anything else?" Bobby asked quietly just before the officer stepped into the lock up.

The deputy unlocked the door and took the tray from Myles and handed it to the girl. When he turned his back to her, Colton shook her head and spun around and fled from the room, leaving behind only the faint hint of a flowery-teenaged-girl perfume smell behind her and a few more unanswered questions.

* * *

After another hour spent pondering their getting-more-confusing-by-the-second-case, the sheriff returned to their cell, all smiles and jangley keys, "Well boys," he smiled as he unlocked the door, "looks like you'll be leavin' our fine establishment. Dot finally got a hold of your FBI and you weren't lying."

"We already knew that," Myles muttered under his breath as he grabbed his jacket.

"Sorry about all the trouble we cause ya," the sheriff continued, evidently having missed Myles comment, "You're supervisor wants y'all to drive right back and said they'll be sending some folks down to deal with Monroe's murder," he paused looking slightly miffed, "since he was involved in a Federal case, they want to investigate it themselves…it's not that we couldn't do it mind ya."

"Of course not," Bobby rolled his eyes in Myles's direction, recalling what Colton had said, as he accepted the manila envelope that contained the things that the sheriff had taken from him when they had been arrested.

As the agents returned their stuff to their pockets, they walked with Sheriff Hatley to the jailhouse door, "Y'all come back and visit us…under nicer circumstances of course," the sheriff laughed as he waved at the agents as they headed toward the car.

"Not likely," Myles said, smiling waving because they were out of hearing range.

Bobby laughed as he plopped into the driver's seat, "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Myles commented as he relaxed in his seat as the car roared out of town…for once not even complaining about the speed.

**Hey guys, hope everyone has a happy Easter! So before I get down on my knees and beg for reviews, I want to tell you the actors I chose for some people!**

**(In case you missed this): Kurt Martins: Robbie Amell**

**And…**

**Kamal Najjar: Oshri Cohen (Suicide bomber)**

**Aahil Najjar: ****Hisham Abdulrahman**** (Older brother)**

**Ibrahim Najjar: Moshe Ivgy (Father)**

**Sheriff Hatley: James Cromwell**

**Deputy: Keith Hammond Cobb**

**Colton Hendrix: Molly C. Quinn**

**Whoa, that's about a million characters so far, yes? Well the Sheriff, Deputy, the 5 guys from the last chapter, and the three people killed in the bombing aren't really that important, so forget about them…at the end of this story, I'll make a Character List so that y'all can refer to it if you get confused. **

**Anyway, review lovies…it helps me write.**

**Over and out,**

**Agent Striker **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey folks! What's going down with you all? I am just sitting here updating…I hope you are considering reviewing…PLEASE I am BEGGING you! I want more reviews, it's hard to write when you don't know if anyone cares, * sniffle *…but I do know that **Hope06**and**proudtobeamerican18** care! I love you two! Anyway, would you like me to start the next chapter? **

**Oh, on the casting; I have decided that if they don't have anything important to say, they don't get casted, so the five guys from Spring Stream aren't casted but here are the casting for this chapter:**

**Kaleigh: Keira Knightly **

**Boy: Logan Lerman**

**Hispanic Boy: Kiowa Gordon (He's Native American but whatever) **

**Maid: Afshan Azad, from Harry Potter...and see my profile if you want to see what she or any of the others looks like! And if you forget:**

**Ibrahim Najjar: Moshe Ivgy **

**Aahil Najjar: ****Hisham Abdulrahman**

* * *

"This is it?" Leslie asked skeptically, looking between the large Victorian mansion and the address printed on the sheet of FBI paper.

Slamming the car door shut behind him, D said, "Not the place you were expecting, huh?"

"Not the sort of place I'd expect a suicider to be from, that's for sure," Leslie replied as she followed D up the flagstone path towards the house.

D knocked on the heavy oak door and stepped back. The door was answered by a young dark haired girl wearing a maid's uniform, "How may I help you?" she asked in a soft accented voice.

"We need to talk to Ibrahim and Aahil Najjar," D said as both he and Leslie flashed their gold badges.

"Will you come inside?" she said with a small smile. She gestured toward an ornately decorated drawing room, "Please wait in here." Without waiting for a reply, the girl silently disappeared.

Leslie was staring in awe at the room with its Victorian furnishing, affluent odds-n-ends, and the rich-musty smell of old books, "And I thought the outside was snazzy."

"It's nice, my wife would love it," D agreed quietly.

The two agents stood for a moment more before the sound of approaching footsteps on the polished hardwood made the duo look up to see the maid leading two men. The first one was about 30, he walked with a quick, military walk, his hair was night black and he had dark brown eyes…but there was something off in those eyes, something neither agent could put a finger on. The second man was moving a little slower, his hair was just beginning to go gray at the temple and he walked with a slightly bent gait. He looked up as he shook hands with the agents they caught a glimpse of dark, endless eyes.

"I am Ibrahim Najjar, this is my son Aahil. How can we be of help to you?" The man said in a carefully cultured voice.

"I'm Special Agent Leslie McDaniels and this is Special Agent Dimitrius Gans. We need to talk to talk to you about you're other son, Kamal?"

"He is not here at the moment," Ibrahim Najjar smiled slowly.

Leslie and D exchanged looks, "I'm afraid we have some bad news for you," D said gently, "Kamal was killed this morning."

The two men were silent, the father looking grieved, the son looking angry, "How?" the young man spit out.

"He was involved in a bombing at a car dealership. I'm very sorry Mr. Najjar, but your son was wearing a suicide vest," Leslie said slowly, watching the horror of the word's meaning sink in.

"My brother would not do such a thing! Not all Muslims are part of Al Qaeda; everyone says America is a free country, but it is not so for Muslims!" Aahil Najjar screamed, standing up so he was standing over the agents.

"Sit down. Your brother is dead, and here you stand, fighting over trivial injustices," Ibrahim Najjar commanded his remaining son in a grief stricken voice, "Sit. Down."

The son sat and the father buried his head in his hands, but a few minutes later his gaze returned to the agents, "My son was a good boy and a good Muslim, he was not radical."

D nodded, "We understand that, we need to ask you a few questions if that's alright."

Aahil Najjar began to object but his father silenced him with a wave of his hand, "I understand, please continue."

"Did your son ever have any drug or psychological problems?"

"Yes, he was in a drug rehabilitation program until about a year and a half ago. He was struggling with a cocaine addiction."

"Was his departure from rehab unexpected in any way?" D asked; pen poised above a small black notebook.

"No," Ibrahim Najjar replied, "He was doing much better; his doctor thought was now safe for him to continue treatments from home. My son was very high strung; he did not like the hospital. He was quite happy back at home."

Leslie looked up from her notebook, "When did you last see Kamal?"

"He left this morning to go to a pray service at the 10th Street Mosque. We did not expect him home until late this evening, he had said something about meeting some friends for lunch," Aahil cut in, glancing in his father's direction.

"Yes, that is correct, he left very early, before I was even up," Ibrahim answered.

"Was he acting different or anything when he left?" Leslie asked.

"No," Aahil answered curtly.

"Do you know any of these people?" D asked as Leslie laid out pictures of Frank Monroe, the car dealership owner Markus Atherton, his secretary MaryAnn Wong, Christopher Page, the salesman that was killed, and Kurt Martins.

Both men glanced at the images, Aahil's eyes landing on Kurt Martin, but he said nothing. His father's eyes too seemed to recognize the picture, "I am very sorry, but I do not know any of these people."

The agents stood up, gathering the pictures as they went, D said, "Thank you for answering our questions, we'll get back to you if we have anymore."

Ibrahim nodded as he led the two agents to the door. His son took up the rear and the maid that had admitted them stood in the center of the foyer and on a hunch, Leslie dropped one of the pictures on her feet.

"Opps, sorry," she smiled apologetically, "it got away from me there."

The maid glanced at the picture as she picked it up and froze. She cast a fugitive glance at Aahil then hastily shoved the photo back at Leslie.

Ibrahim pulled back the door and wished the agents goodbye. Once the two were outside and back in D's car, Leslie asked, "Did you see that girl's reaction to the picture I dropped?"

"Yeah, she recognized whoever it was…which picture _did _you drop?" D said moving his eyes from the road to his partner.

"Kurt Martins', the same picture that both Aahil and Ibrahim Najjar recognized," Leslie grinned.

"But they didn't say anything," D said in a sarcastic voice.

"So you noticed that too?" Leslie asked, D nodded and she continued, "I tink there is somethin' rotten in D.C." she commented in some uncertain accent.

"We're actually in Maryland."

Leslie glared and D laughed.

* * *

Kurt Martins' address was on a Thoroughbred farm in Virginia, about an hour away from D.C. Jack and Sue arrived at about 11:30, two hours after Leslie and D had talked to the Najjars. Though they had gotten lost, the view made up for it; the fields were an autumn-fading green and the tall maple trees that lined the winding driveway were bare with and a few leaves blew around. Several horses grazed in the pastures on both sides of the driveway, safely behind a long white picket fences. As the car approached the barn behind a huge stone house, Sue commented, "It's so picturesque here."

Jack nodded as he pulled into the spot he had been directed to, "It definitely is."

The two moved toward the red and white doors, moving out of the way of a dark-haired young man leading a tall, leggy horse, "Can I help you?" He called out as he paused, looking over his shoulder.

"Can you point us in the direction of whoever is in charge?" Jack asked.

He nodded, "Kaleigh's office is at the end of this hall," he said pointing, "She should be in there…or nearby. If you don't see her, you'll probably hear her."

As if on cue there was a crash followed by a woman's voice and the boy smiled, "That's her."

Sue looked slightly confused as Jack thanked the young man. Jack smiled at her as he followed the sound and she followed him, **"Yelling." **Jack signed and spoke.

Before Sue could say anything, they rounded the corner, "I told you to be careful and to _watch out of the door_! And what do you do, drive right into the door! Do you have any idea what that'll cost to fix?" A woman of medium height with short cropped brown-dyed-honey-blond hair stood next to a tall, young Hispanic man.

The two items in question were a heavy door to outside and a green John Deere tractor that had seen better days, "…three days, we've had this tractor for three days and already you've totaled it! Do you have any idea what the Boss is going to do to me?" The woman screeched.

The guy answered something in Spanish, scuffing his feet across the ground. The woman threw up her hands, "I hate it when you do that! Get the tractor and take it to the back shed and see if Manuel can help you get this into some semblance of working order, okay?"

He nodded and as he turned toward the two agents, they caught him rolling his eyes. The woman turned back toward the two new comers, "What?" she growled.

Jack flashed her a smile, "We're with the FBI," he flashed his badge, "We're looking for Kurt Martins."

"Aren't we all? What did he do now?" Kaleigh as distractedly, watching as the tractor was backed out of the barn, calling to the driver as he nearly hit the wall again, "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!"

He grinned at her, waving. She threw up her hands and turned back towards agents, making an annoyed sign, "What were you saying?"

"We're looking for Kurt Martins," Sue replied.

Kaleigh nodded, running her hands through her short hair, the muscles under her tan skin flexing. She was wearing a tank top, and rubber boots with her jeans tucked into them, although it was mid-October, "Well let's see, I do recall seeing him yesterday, and I think I saw him hiding from me when we got that load of hay in…" she paused, "I think I might know where he is; follow me."

She turned abruptly and headed down the hall, turning left. She led the way down a long row of stalls, a few equine heads sticking out of the doors. A half a dozen men and women were around, doing various jobs. Kaleigh called out to a few of them, mostly to speed up or to add to their lists of chore. She paused in front of a ladder that led upwards, she turned toward the agents, "He's probably up in the loft catching a little post-lunch shut eye, the lazy brute. I'll go and send him down, you're not exactly dressed to climb up there."

She put her foot on the first rung of the ladder and looked up. Her eyes widened and she flew backwards with a scream as something-or someone- tumbled from the high hay loft!

* * *

"Hello everyone!" Bobby called as he strolled into the bull pen around 12:30 in the afternoon.

"I only see Tara," Myles commented, "And she's in her own world." She was in fact in her own world, hunched over her computer, a large pair of head phones holding her short hair down.

"HELLO?" Bobby called, standing right behind her.

Bouncing up in the air, she squealed, "AHH!" She sat back down with a thud, her hand on her heart, "Don't do that to me!" She paused, "I think I'm having a heart attack."

Bobby just continued to laugh, Myles dropped his briefcase on his desk and said, "So if you're finished having a coronary, where's everyone else?"

Tara panted, her hand still on her heart, "D and Leslie went to talk to a couple of suspects, Jack and Sue are in Virginia, checking out another guy."

Bobby nodded as he plunked down at his desk, shoving aside a stack of paperwork that had accumulated over the few days he was gone. "How was West Virginia?" Tara asked.

Myles: "Awful."

Bobby: "Not that great."

"That's not really helpful," Tara rolled her eyes. It appeared that neither of the agents was going to say anything else; she waved her arm to get their attention, "Soo, what happened in Spring Stream?"

Myles leaned back in his chair, resting his feet on the desk, "Well, when we got there, Monroe was dying-"

"What?" Tara interjected.

Myles continued, "And his last words were 'Najjar…Beware of Najjar'. Then we got arrested for murder…"

"And met a nice young lady who gave us this," Bobby finished, holding up the key that Colton, the waitress, had given them.

Tara was pounding the keys of her computer at an insanely speedy rate, "Rewind; you said that Monroe said 'Najjar'?"

"Yeah," Bobby said, moving over to read over Tara's shoulder, "What does it mean?"

Tara grinned at both of them, "It's not a what, it's a who. Najjar happens to be the last name of this guy." The picture of Kamal Najjar flashed onto the HDTV on the wall.

"And that is…?" Myles asked.

"Our bomber."

* * *

Tara had been outlining the things they had learned about the case when Myles cut in, "So this guy knew the bomber-" Myles's train of thought was interrupted Lucy's entrance.

"Hey guys, I just got a call from Sue. She and Jack found Kurt Martins; he's dead.

* * *

**So there, kind of choppy I guess…so how are all of you feeling, Osma Bin Laden is dead…I actually feel really bad that the guy was so messed up…but I think he got what he gave. Give me a review…doesn't it feel great to stand together America? **


	11. Chapter 11

**So Striker is back and she's in a pretty good mood. She's all done with her math final…but now that she thinks about it, she may **_**not **_**be in such a good mood when she gets the grade back. She has hopes for a Valedictorian at her 8****th**** grade graduation and if this other girl gets it she will vomit. This girl is not a friend mind you, but if any of Strikers friends got it, she would be very happy. This other girl grates on Striker's nerves, hence the vomiting. Anyway, Striker wants to thank **Hope06** and **proudtobeamerican18** for reviewing. She loves you two and she loves those readers who couldn't find it in their hearts to review…oh dear, she's tearing up here…oh, she's begging y'all to review…Anyway **_**I'm **_**telling her to move on and get the chapter started:**

"So again, we have nothing," Myles pointed out as the team stood looking dejectedly at the 'Deceased' tag that was currently under all but two people's pictures on the dry-erase board.

"Thank you Myles," Bobby deadpanned.

There was an awkward pause as the two men glared at each other. "Alright then," Tara said cracking her knuckles the typing furiously on her computer, "I've got a few tasty tidbits here to share. The key that Bobby and Myles brought back is the kind used for unlocking these beauties."

There was a second of clicking before a picture popped up on the big screen, "Yes ladies and gents, that is a 1976 Ferrari 308," there were appreciative noises from the audience, "And in case you were interested, there is one such car in Monroe's garage here in D.C."

Jack and Bobby started to reached for their jackets, but Tara held up her hand, "Wait, I have one more little interesting thing about our suicide bomber. It seems that Aahil Najjar is on a terrorist watch list. Some of his activities have been linked to a suspected Al Qaeda cell here in D.C."

"I knew they were lying," Leslie shook her head. D nodded silently.

"This changes things a little, doesn't it?" Lucy commented.

"I think we should have SOG watch the house," Leslie said, crossing her arms and glancing toward Tara.

She grinned, "On their way."

"So," Bobby started, pulling his jacket on, "Anyone want to join Sparky and I going through Monroe's car?"

"I do!" Leslie said jumping up.

"Trying to avoid that paper work…Fish?" Myles asked.

Leslie turned back toward the group, "Do. Not. Talk. About. That."

"What?" Sue asked amused.

"Well Leslie here-" Myles began.

"Don't tell her about that!"

"Are you coming with us or not?" Bobby called back as he and Jack headed out of the bull pen.

Leslie groaned, "As soon as I leave, you're going to tell her, aren't you?"

"Of course," Myles grinned wickedly.

"I will tell you the _real _story when I get back," Leslie said to Sue, "Don't believe anything he says."

Sue laughed as the red head trotted out of the bull pen. Turning towards her, Myles said, "This is what we here at the Bureau as Leslie McDaniels and the Reflecting Pool …"

* * *

"We are so lost," Leslie commented from the back seat.

"No we're not," Bobby said, craning his neck, trying to read the street sign.

"I have to agree with Les," Jack added.

Bobby sent his friend a glare, "Well, if we're lost, why don't you call your friend at the police department and ask for directions, Detective Grove, isn't it?"

"That cop that has the hots for him?" Leslie asked leaning forward.

Bobby ginned and nodded, Jack blushed, "She doesn't have the 'hots' for me. She's just a friend."

There was snorting and eye rolling, "For you maybe."

"Found it!" Bobby cried out in triumph, pulling up in front of a little condo, the only one with a garage. There was one police car parked out front, a young officer behind the wheel.

The agents pulled up and got out. The officer greeted them with a smile, "Can I help you?"

All three flashed their badges and were admitted without a second thought. Leaving them to their work, the officer returned to his car.

"So where is this car?" Leslie said, surveying the packed garage.

"In here somewhere…maybe under that tarp back there?" Jack pointed.

"Well, let's get digging!" Bobby grinned, rolling up his sleeves.

* * *

"Finally," Jack announced half an hour later, pulling back a green army tarp to reveal a bright red Ferrari, in mint condition.

"Wow," Bobby said with a whistle, "all that digging was well worth it, look at that little baby mate."

"Yada, yada…can we open her up already, we don't have all day you know," Leslie said taping her fingers on the hood agitatedly.

Bobby winked at Jack, sending him one of those looks that said something rather dirty that Leslie completely understood, to which she said, "Don't. Even. Think. It. Just. Open. The. Car."

Bobby laughed under his breath, sliding the key into the lock. He pulled back the door to reveal the spotless interior, well the almost spotless interior, "SPIDER!" Leslie screeched as she jumped behind Jack, "KILL IT!"

That looked passed between the two men again, Jack answering with a cocked eyebrow, "It's a spider, a tiny little spider."

Leslie glared at Jack and he rolled his eyes. Bobby squished it then flung the dead body at Leslie, screaming, cursing, and blasphemy ensued. Laughing, the agents began to search the car. It didn't take them long to search the small car. The only thing of any value that was found was the spider and a single manila envelope.

The envelope held a lot better than the spider.

"What do we have here?" Leslie asked as she plopped up on the hood to open the envelope. Inside was a sheet of paper and a small sticky note. The sticky note had a small block-like hand writing that read:

_**In case something happens to me, this **__**MUST**__** be given to the FBI**_

_**~FM**_

The agents exchanged a look and Leslie peeled the sticky off, then continued reading. The sheet of paper was the lined kind and on it were some hastily scribbled notes:

_Najjar Family:_

_Ibrahim Najjar: Father, construction mogul, multi-millionaire- may be using money to fund Al Qaeda_ _terrorist strikes._

_Aahil Najjar: Eldest son, 'works' for father's company, known extremist_

_Kamal Najjar: Second son, very high strung, highly unstable, would do _anything for _his brother_.

_1/23/10_

_Aahil Najjar was seen with several of known AQ supports, accepted a package, gave other men cash. _

_8/3/10 _

_Kamal Najjar took an innocent amounts of plastic explosives from his father's building supplies, gave to his brother_

_8/17/10_

_Kamal picked up the same amount of explosives, gave to brother_

_8/31/10_

_More pick-ups and drop offs _

_9/14/10_

_Aahil 'bought' several cars_

_9/15/10_

_Again with the pick-ups and drop offs_

_9/29/10_

_Searched Najjar home, found 18 cars and supplies that might be used for bombs…something is definitely going on. _

_10/19/10_

_Kamal _blew up _a Mark's car dealership. My god, what have I stumbled across?_

_Going to take info to FBI asap._

"The last entry is the last day Monroe was seen in D.C." Leslie said distractedly as she flipped through the photos, handing them to Jack and Bobby. There were a half a dozen full page color photos of a garage, some new-looking-cars, large metal barrels labeled 'FLAMABLE' and a blurry but familiar face leaning over something that looked terrifyingly like a bomb: Aahil Najjar.

* * *

**Okay, Striker is all done with this chapter! She wants me to tell you that she wants this story to be less than 25 chappies, but she's not at all sure that is going to happen…probably not…anyway-ahh hold on…okay she's whining again and she wants more reviews. ANYWAY, she wants to know if any of you got the car thing. She says think about what show Tom Selleck is best known for. WHOA, did you guys just hear that? Striker's stomach growled so loud that her cat looked at her. She really wants a muffin. She is going to go get a muffin. She wants me to shut up (after I tell y'all to review again) and post this chappie. **

**Oh, Striker also says that Diana Grove is a character from the show; she was in The Hunter, The Signing and one other one she can't think of. She's Jack's real-life wife, Chantal Craig. Another interesting tidbit it that today, May 16 is YANNICK BISSON'S birthday! Agent striker is doing this really creepy happy dance…cover your eyes, you might go blind. **

**OH, as a final note to this really long author's note, I want YOU to write what happened to Leslie and the Reflecting Pool (in D.C.)! I have an idea but I want to see what you come up with…so finally…**

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Well hello there! I'm back, and no, my alternate personality isn't here with me. I was being odd okay, don't judge me. Anyway, thanks to my THREE reviewers:**

Hope06

proudtobeamerican18

_Nameless_: **I wish you'd left a name, but now you will be fondly known as My Ghost Reviewer…**

**LOVE ALL OF YOU READERS TOO! ALL 35 OF YOU….REALLY WISH YOU HAD REVIEWED THOUGH! Anyway…here we go…**

* * *

"FBI! STOP WHERE YOU ARE!"

"HANDS IN THE AIR!"

"STEP AWAY FROM THE WORKBENCH!"

"FACEDOWN ON THE GROUND! NOW!"

Two dozen agents swarmed around three men in the Najjar garage, Aahil, and two faces unfamiliar to FBI. The agents were decked out in raid garb, heavy, bullet proof, and green. The three young men did as they were instructed…well, almost.

Just as Aahil began to lean towards the ground, he jumped back up with amazing agility and sprung for something on the workbench, "STOP HIM, WATCH OUT!"

There was a single crack of a gunshot and Aahil fell backwards, his hand just shy of a large jumble of wires and dynamite.

Ashen faces searched other ashen faces for who had fired the shot, "Mack 08, all clear," Leslie said into her mike, her face palest of all.

The other agents checked in and collected the two prisoners and the one body. Jack went up to Leslie who was off by herself, "You did what you had to do."'

"I know," she nodded, "I just…I don't know. It's always hard to kill someone so young."

"He was going to kill us all, you can't forget that," Jack said after a minute.

Leslie put on a brave smile as she moved off in the direction of the door where Sue and Levi were just entering. Sue smiled but Leslie past without seeming to notice, "Is she okay?"

Jack shrugged, "It's always tough when something like this happens; taking another person's life is…I don't know. You just start thinking about how that person had parents and friends and a life, no matter how evil they were or even if they were trying to kill you. And it all happened so fast," Jack grimaced, "we found those pictures in Monroe's car, got the warrant, and came over here in less than two hours."

Sue nodded as the two headed back outside, "And she's only been here a few days on top of all that."

Jack smiled sadly, "I don't think the moving had any big impact."

"What?" Sue looked at her partner quizzing as he removed his protective outer jacket.

"Her husband was killed seven or eight years back; I'm not sure she's ever really figured out a way to deal with that grief in anyway but throwing herself into her work,"

Sue frowned as the two made their way out of the Najjar garage, "What happened?"

"I don't know all the details, but I do know he was killed on an overseas mission, I think he was in the CIA or the NSA. She was really messed up for a while after he was killed," Jack said quietly as he walked with his partner towards the surveillance van, "but she seems like she's really bounced back."

Sue nodded softly, her face sad for her coworker. Before she could say anything else, there was the sound of shouting. The duo rounded the side of the truck to see Ibrahim Najjar being lead to one of the awaiting transport vehicles, "You killers, you have killed both of my sons!" he screamed, looking as though something inside of him had snapped, "You will all pay!"

The two agents joined the rest of their until, Bobby, Myles, D, Tara, Leslie, and even Lucy stood and watched as Najjar continued to scream, "I will kill you all, one by one, you will all face off with death and none of you will live to tell about it!"

His eyes wild with hate and grief, his hair mussed, and his clothes out of place, Ibrahim Najjar was forced into the awaiting car, finally silent.

* * *

_Commercial Break_

* * *

After a short two weeks of gathering evidence, Ibrahim Najjar's terrorist trial was already in full swing. Terrorist trials tend to get pushed ahead of everything else. The team sat in two rows inside one of the many courtrooms waiting with the rest of the people to hear the jury's decision, "How long do you think the jury is going to have to debate about the verdict? The evidence was pretty straight forward," Bobby said glancing at his watch.

"So you think he did it?" Leslie asked.

"Oh course, don't you?" Bobby shot back.

"I guess," she shrugged, "I don't really think he was directly involved in the making of the bombs and stuff, but I think he knew what was going on…which makes him just as bad as the people making the bombs I guess."

Bobby gave a look that read no-duh but didn't say anything in reply and the team sat in awkward silence until Sue spoke up, "I never did get to hear Leslie's side of the Fish story."

Leslie immediately perked up, "So you have to disregard _everything _Myles told you because it really happened like this…"

_Flashback_

"_Stop, FBI!" a slightly younger Jack Hudson yelled at the retreating backs of two suspects in the dim, muggy early summer night, "Their coming your way Leslie, I'm right behind them!"_

"_I'm on my way!" Bobby yelled, thundering in from the opposite direction._

"_I'm right behind you, Les," D shouted. _

"_I'm right behind D," Myles added as the men raced up to the end of the reflecting pool where Leslie was stationed. _

_The air was heavy with a storm on the horizon and there was a zigzag of lightning followed closely by a clap of thunder. Leslie stood ready, glancing from the clouds to the area the suspects should be coming from at any second. The thunder sounded again, bringing with it the first spatters of rain, "Just what I need," the red head mumbled._

_Suddenly the sound of footsteps rounded the edge of the Lincoln Memorial. Leslie spun around and raised her gun, "Halt, FBI!" she yelled above the thunder and the rapid torrents of rain. No one could see anything anymore; the rain was coming down in sheets, blurring everything._

_There were two men with guns facing down one short FBI woman without any visible back up and a much smaller gun. They glanced at each other and without a second thought fired in the direction of the voice. _

_The first of two bullets whizzed high above Leslie's head, completely harmless, the next one came a lot closer. Just as the rest of the agents sprinted up towards Leslie and the thugs, the rain began to slow and the final bullet was fired. Leslie dove towards the concrete…or what she thought was the concrete. _

"_AHH!" came a scream, followed closely by a splash. _

"_Leslie?" D yelled as Bobby and Myles came up behind the two thugs, hand cuffing them and shoving them towards the edge of the Reflecting Pool. _

_There was another splash, then sputtering, a string of curses and then, "Oh god."_

_There was a few seconds of silence as the quick shower slowed to a trickle, and that's when the laughter began, _everyone _was laughing._

_D and Jack had been closest when Leslie made that faithful dive and they were doubled over roaring at the figure of Leslie sitting in the Pool (It's only 18 inches on the edges and 30 inches at its deepest point), completely soaked. Leslie attempted to stand up, but slipped and fell back with a splash, and by then even the thugs were nearly doubled over with laughter. _

_End Flashback _

"I was protecting our great nation…but I have to admit it was the funniest moment of my _entire _life, and trust me, a lot of funny things have happened to me," Leslie finished with a grin.

"Weren't you embarrassed?" Jack asked with a smirk.

"Nope," Leslie said, popping the 'p', "I've done things about a million times more embarrassing and stupid, that's nothing."

"Care to share?" Myles asked.

"You're too young," Leslie shot back.

Before he could come up with a snappy comeback, the bailiff reentered the room and announced, "All stand."

The room rose to its feet as the judge and the jury filed into the room. Everyone sat down but the juror with the piece of paper in her hand that held the weight of one man's life with just a word.

"Does the jury have a verdict?" the judge asked.

"Yes," the juror replied, handing the paper to the bailiff with in turn handed the paper to the judge.

The judge nodded at the bailiff seriously and then opened up the paper. He read the word written the paper then nodded to the juror.

"We find the defendant, Ibrahim Najjar, guilty of the charges of terrorism and agree with the death penalty."

The judge nodded and then motioned for the bailiff to take the prisoner away. But before he was lead out of the room, Ibrahim Najjar turned around and stared at the team, "I will avenge my sons' deaths, I promise you. Before I die, you will all die too."

* * *

"That trial was unsettling," Lucy commented later that night as she and Sue put away dinner dishes.

"The whole _case _was unsettling," Sue replied as she shifted through the mail piled on the dining room table.

"True," Lucy agreed. Glancing at her roommate, Lucy spoke again, "Anything interesting in the mail?"

"Yeah," Sue said with a slow smile, "look at this."

She held up a bright pink sheet of computer paper printed with the large heading that read:

**The Hearing and Deaf Dance Academy Presents**

_**DRACULA: THE BALLET**_

**The combination of deaf and hearing dancers brings to life the characters of Bram Stoker's best-selling novel **_**Dracula **_**in a horrifyingly scary night no one will ever forget!**

**Be sure to join us on October 30 & 31 for an unforgettably terrifying experience!**

"Hey, that sounds like fun…" Lucy said as she scanned the paper, "Maybe we can go to see it."

Sue grinned, "I think we definitely should! Maybe we could invite Amanda and-"

She was cut off by the sound of the phone (which she didn't hear) and Levi nuzzling her (which she felt). Lucy glanced at her, "I think Levi is telling you that the phone is ringing."

Sue nodded and picked up the telephone, "Hello?"

"Sue, this is Jack…something's happened."

"What?" Sue asked in a tone, causing Lucy to send her roommate a confused look.

"There's been an accident; the transport vehicle carrying Ibrahim Najjar crashed and both agents with him were killed, but Najjar got away. He's out there somewhere and we _don't _know where. He's out there and he wants our unit dead."

* * *

**Cliff hanger! **

**I will update again very soon! I graduated 8****th**** grade, (so now I'm a high schooler! YAY!) and I want to finish this story before summer ends!**

**Review me please!**

**~Agent Striker **


	13. Chapter 13

**Speedy update, yes? Love to my 34 readers and my reviewers:**

proudtobeamerican18

Me

**Key:**** Bold-Signing, "Signing and Speaking"**

**Anyways…**

"So, some con we put in jail threatened us then escaped; who says that he's going to follow up? It's just as likely that he _won't_ follow up," Leslie said the next morning as the unit gathered around the bull pen, each one following their own morning routines.

Tara was firing up the coffee maker and her computers. Bobby was moving papers around on his desk in an attempt to find a place to work. Myles was organizing his pens and pencils according to color and size. D was searching through his wallet for the money he had had just last night. Sue was absent-mindedly petting Levi, trying to keep up with the conversation. Lucy was typing with one eye on her computer, the other on the other members of her unit, listening as usual. Jack had been reading the same paragraph on their case for the last fifteen minutes. Leslie was pacing, desperately wanting a cup of coffee.

"That's true," D acknowledged, "but what if he does follow up?"

"We'll catch him before then," Came the confident reply.

"Is this even our case?" Myles asked irritably.

"Yep," Jack said standing up. He walked over the newly cleaned off dry-erase board, then turned to face the team, "We don't have much to go on here, what we do know is that there is a strong likelihood that Najjar will be staying somewhere in the D.C.-"

"Or he might not," Leslie cut in again.

Jack acknowledged this, "Or he may just try to get as far away from here as he can. Either way, we're going to track him down. I pulled a few strings upstairs to get this case, as well as to keep us all in D.C."

"Why would we be leaving D.C.?" Sue asked.

"Because of the threats our unit has received, they were thinking about splitting us up unit Najjar was apprehended," Jack replied, "But anyways, we need to hit the streets and see if anyone has heard anything."

There were nods but nobody moved. "Well, let's get going," Jack said with a clap of his hands.

There was grumbling due to the lack of coffee but the office scattered, some to use phones, some out the door. And yet another day at the FBI began.

* * *

"So, how did it go? Get anything helpful?" Jack asked as the team gathered together at the end of a very trying day.

Tara sighed, "Nada."

D shook his head, "Zero."

"Absolutely nothing mate," Bobby replied.

"Nil, zip, no-thing," Leslie said, making a zero with her fingers.

Myles put down the phone he had been using, "Nobody knows anything."

**Nothing, **Sue signed.

Jack tapped his desk with his finger tips, "I didn't get anything either."

"Najjar is either very good at covering his tracks or is very far away from D.C." Myles said.

Tara had been typing listlessly for a few minutes when she suddenly perked up, "Hey guys, I might just have something."

Suddenly energized, the team crowed around Tara's desk. On the screen was a blank email from ''.

"What kind of name is 'barefoot5'?" Bobby asked.

"Who's it from?" D wanted to know.

"I think it's from Najjar," Tara grinned, typing something, causing another page to pop on the screen, "This email was in my spam folder and when I ran it through the FBI's spam sifter-"

"Spam what?" Myles cut in.

"Not important," Tara dismissed him with a wave of her hand, "what is important is what was in this seemingly blank email; spyware. But not your average spyware…this is extremely sophisticated, you can program it to attack a certain file then send its little spyware kiddies into anyone's computer who has accessed that file. When I caught the spyware and decoded it, guess what file it was sent to attack."

"The Najjar file," everyone filled in.

Tara smiled fondly at them, "Aw, you guys are so smart! I can't track where the email came from but I can do this…"

* * *

"Do you think Tara's little plan is going to work?" Lucy asked Sue as the two women (plus Levi) walked down the streets of D.C. in the direction of the ballet studio where the performance of _Dracula _was being held.

Sue shrugged, "Tara knows what's she's doing…I believe that we'll catch Najjar."

"You don't sound so sure," Lucy noted.

"I am sure…I just have this funny feeling about this case," She shrugged again then pointed to a building across the street, "There's the dance academy."

The two women and Levi crossed the street. When they reached the ornately decorated doors of the academy, two girls of about ten appeared. Both were dressed up to look like vampires with lots of makeup and even a dribble of fake blood.

"**Hello! Welcome to The Hearing and Deaf Dance Academy's performance of **_**Dracula, **_**tickets are five dollars apiece!" **They signed and spoke, grinning from ear to ear.

"**Is it alright if Levi comes in? He's my hearing dog," **Sue said as she pulled a five dollar bill from her pocket.

"You're deaf?"one little vampire asked.

"**Yep," **Sue smiled, **"I read lips, are you both deaf?"**

"**I am deaf! I read lips too!" **The other vampire grinned, signing and speaking at an amazing speed.

"**I'm not deaf, but my cousin is…and I think you can take your dog in…he looks like a good boy," **the first vampire finished as she handed Lucy and Sue their tickets.

"**Have a **_**ghoulish **_**time!" **they waved as the two disappeared into the building.

Sue and Lucy both laughed at the sweet little girls even after they had found their seats in the auditorium. They chatted for a moment before the lights dimmed and the sound of music brought their attention to the stage in front of them.

A tall African American woman took the stage; waving and smiling she soon had the attention of the whole crowd upon her, **"Hello ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the DAHDA's performance of **_**Dracula**_**! Ballet is an art that anyone can enjoy, with or without hearing; it's the movement of the performers that make the dance, not necessarily the music. For our version of this ballet, we have a narrator who will be speaking and sighing up here as well as some narrators stationed along the aisles who will be just signing to be most convenient to you. I'll probably be up here again at the end so I'll get out of the way now and let the show begin!"**

* * *

As the final scene of the ballet finished, the entire audience began to stand and clap uproariously as each of the characters came out onto the stage. Sue was smiling as she watched all the happy dancers but abruptly the smile fell from her face as she noticed one of the characters minus her hood. Standing on the stage sweating and smiling in the bright lights was the girl she had met at the hospital, Raven!

"Lucy, I need to go talk to someone, I'll be right back!" Sue called to her roommate as she wove her way from her seat.

Without looking back, she and Levi worked their way up to the stage, searching all the faces for Raven. She finally spotted Raven at the edge of the crowd, watching she and Levi approach. Raven glanced at them then spun around; yanking the long black hood she wore back over her face and pushed toward the nearby exit door. Sue wanted to call out but knew it would be no use. When she had pushed through the mob and reached the door, the only thing left of Raven was her pair of ink black pointe shoes.

* * *

**A little choppy, but it has a cliffy, so there. The next chapter will reveal Tara's plan…Love you all lots, please review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks to my 46 readers and my 2 reviewers:**

Hope06

proudtobeamerican18

**I would totally love it if more of you reviewed but I'll take what I get. **

**Key~ "Signing and Speaking" ~ Signing**

**Anyway…**

"Are you sure it was Raven, not someone who looked like her?" Jack asked the next morning after listening to Sue's story.

"Positive, she recognized me and then she ran away from me," Sue replied, "and now I have a lead to where we can find her."

Jack shrugged, "That is you _had _a lead, who knows if she'll ever go back to this dance studio."

"But that's the beauty of it all," Sue grinned, "she has no reason to be afraid of me, she doesn't know that I'm FBI."

"Then why did she run away in the first place?"

Sue signed, "Maybe she's just careful, seeing the same person twice, both by chance, that might have made her nervous …but not nervous enough that she won't go back. Dancers are seriously dedicated, I don't think she'd stop going to the dance studio just because of seeing me."

"So what are you going to do?" Jack asked.

Sue put her coffee mug down and grinned, "I'm going to find her."

"Then what?"

"Then I'm going to talk to her."

Jack crossed his arms and gave his partner his best skeptical look, "And after that?"

"I'll know more after I find her," Sue decided after a minute, "Do you want to come with me?"

Jack rolled his eyes, "I'd better come, someone has to have a plan."

Sue looked insulted and gave Jack a playful smack, "Let's go."

As the two exited the bullpen laughing, Leslie looked up from the seemingly endless pile of paperwork that still plagued her desk. Seeing no one but Tara and Lucy, she finally asked the question that had been eating her since she had first arrived, "So, how long have Jack and Sue liked each other?"

"Since forever," Lucy and Tara said together without even looking up from their work.

"That long…and nothing's come of it?"

"Nope, nothing. It's depressing really," Lucy mused as she plopped down on the corner of Tara's desk with an arm full of files.

"Makes you wonder what happened to our match making skills," Tara agreed.

"So you guys have given up?" Leslie asked with a smile that could best be described as devilish.

The two other women exchanged looks, "There's only so much twp people can do to get two other people together, especially when those two are bent on following rules and _not _getting together," Lucy replied carefully, "Why do you ask?"

Leslie jumped up from her desk and joined the pow-wow at Tara's desk, "I say that we try to get them together. Its three on two now, we've got the upper hand."

"But do we really meddle in their lives?" Tara asked skeptically.

"Yeah!" Lucy and Leslie nearly shouted.

Tara ginned, "Good!"

"So how are we going to do this?" Lucy asked.

"Well, I have this saying I like to fling about every now and again…God knows all and fate is good …but sometimes fate needs a _little_ push…"

* * *

**Hello, welcome to The Deaf and Hearing Dance Academy, I'm Renee, can I help you?**

"**Hello, my name is Sue Thomas…I'm looking for someone, I was wondering if you could help me." **Sue smiled at Renee; she was a woman of about forty with an elegant figure, redish-brown hair, and a welcoming smile.

**I'll try to help you, who are you looking for? **Renee signed back.

"**She said her name was Raven…she was in the **_**Dracula **_**performance last night," **Sue shrugged, "**I know that's not a lot of information…"**

Renee smiled, **I know who you're talking about…last time I saw her she was working on her **_**attitude en pointe **_**and**_** arabesque penchée **_**in the back with Cali, **she paused and waved a pretty, brown-haired, brown-eyed girl, **Brynn, take these people to Raven please.**

**Okay Miss Renee. ** The girl finger signed, giving the impression that she was not very good at signing.

Turning to Sue and Jack she asked, "Does one of you speak? I'm really terrible at ASL and it would probably be easier for us to communicate if one of you did…not that we really need to communicate, but…" she shrugged.

"We both speak," Jack said with a reassuring smile.

"Oh good! I'm pretty new here and I'm _realllly_ slow at learning languages and I tend to say stupid and embarrassing things when I sign," Brynn prattled on as she led the two agents through the busy studio. Everywhere there were girls and guys of all ages stretching, dancing, signing, talking, and doing whatever else it is dancers do.

As they walked, both Jack and Sue caught snippets of interesting conversations…

"I do _not _bend that far!"

"Yes you do!"

"No-OUCHH!"

"Now you _really _do."

**I want to see your nose touch the floor. **

"**What hose?"**

"Touch my bobby pins again, I will cut you up and feed you to the Goths."

"You know, they'd probably enjoy that."

Brynn had stopped walking and said with a sweet smile, "Raven is right over there….the girl with her legs stretched all the way out…and that's Cali with her," she pointed to the very back corner of a busy room covered with wall to wall mirrors.

"**Thank you," **Sue signed.

"That's one sign I _do _know!" Brynn exclaimed happily, **you're welcome.**

With a bouncy wave she disappeared back the way they had come.

Jack glanced around the room, "Well, at least there aren't any exits besides this one; she'll have to get past us if she wants to leave."

"Thank Heaven for small blessings," Sue said as she and Jack made their way across the room.

The tall blond woman the agents assumed to be Cali stood over Raven, **"Stretch." **

**I am. **Raven shot back.

"**Hello," **Sue smiled as she approached the two.

Cali looked up but Raven didn't. The agents both got a closer view of her, she was very pretty but her eyes were caked with heavy black eye liner and she had a permanent looking frown etched into her face, "Can I help you?"

Sue replied, "I wanted to talk to Raven."

Raven glanced at Cali then over her shoulder when Cali gestured with a flick of her thin wrist. Her dark eyes got wide for a millisecond before she stood up and signed with a grin, **Hello Miss Thomas, it's good to see you again! ** She took Sue by the arm and led her back to the door; **I need to talk to you, but not here. **The girl signed fugitively, **I'll find you. **With a cheery wave Raven signed so everyone could see, **Thanks for stopping by; I wish I could talk more.**

"**Maybe you can stop by my house?" **Sue asked.

Raven's eyes said no, but she continued to play along, **I might just do that! Bye!**

"**Good-bye, Raven," **Sue nodded.

The agents turned to leave but Sue caught a glimpse of the conversation going on behind her. Cali wanted to know who they were and Raven was lying, saying that she met them at a deaf club. Cali nodded, telling her to get back to her stretching, but she was watching the agents. She knew Raven was lying and neither of the agents had any idea what that meant.

* * *

"We'll be able to tell tomorrow if our bait worked," Tara said as she closed her laptop with a sense of finality.

"You really think that he's going to try and hijack the vehicle carrying his son's bodies?" Myles asked skeptically.

"The way I have it figured is that he'll be monitoring the file through his spyware and I know he'll want his son's bodies. So when he sees the information about the location of the unmarked graves, he won't be able to resist. We'll be waiting and bada-bing, we'll catch him."

"How morbid," Leslie commented.

Sue was quietly packing up her stuff to go home; Lucy was waiting at the door. Jack paused at her desk, sensing the reason for her silence, "She'll contact you."

"I hope so…she needs help Jack, I can feel it."

He nodded as Sue grabbed Levi's leash and waved to the others in the office, "Bye guys."

"Good-bye Sue," they replied.

She walked out behind Lucy leaving one member of the office feeling extremely mixed up and one plotting. This was probably not a good thing…especially since the plotting one had the perfect idea to get Sue and the confused one together.

* * *

Lucy talked the whole elevator ride to the parking lot away, trying to get her friend to smile. When they arrived in the garage, she touched Sue's arm, "Let's do an experiment with my car. I was reading in the manual last night that if I press this button," Lucy pointed to a blue one, "the car will start for me and it should work from here."

"Oh, try it!" Sue said with forced enthusiasm.

Lucy pointed the key chain at the car and pressed the button. For a few seconds nothing happened but then with a tremendous roar, the car burst into a flaming inferno, filling the whole garage with a blinding smoke and sent Levi, Sue, and Lucy flying back against the hard concrete wall…then came the second explosion; the one that brought the roof down.

* * *

**Muhaha evil cliffy! I made the thing about the bodies up…I do think that their graves would be unmarked…isn't that what killers and such get?**

**And the strange assortment of actresses:**

**Renee-****Trix Bruce**

**Brynn-****Selena Gomez**

**Cali-****Avril Lavigne**

**Review please!**

**Agent S**


	15. Chapter 15

**Just because the ending of the last chapter was so mean, I decided that I would update even though I only had ONE review (**proudtobeamerican18**)…hope this satisfies you!**

* * *

"So Jack, do you have anything you want to tell me?" Leslie asked as she plopped onto Jack's desk a few minutes after Sue had left the agent staring moodily at the door where she had exited.

"Yeah, get off my desk," Jack muttered in Leslie's direction as he reached for a file in one his desk drawers.

"Geeze, aren't we in a festive mood," Leslie deadpanned. When Agent Hudson didn't reply she put of a bright grin, "Anything _else_ you need to say?"

Jack opened his mouth, but whatever he was going to say was lost in an earthquake-like tremor that shook the whole building followed closely by the blaring of the fire alarms. "What's going on  
?" Bobby yelled as the building what shaken by a second, stronger explosion.

People were flying down the halls toward the stairs and the remaining people of the unit joined the mad dash. There was shouting that one of the electric breakers had exploded, but nobody believed it. They were all thinking about what had happened on one fateful morning in early September in 2001. None of them wanted to ask too many questions though; they needed to be alive to protect the country, not heroes killed in the first explosion.

At the last count, 35,437 people worked at the FBI, as agents and janitors and secretaries and everything in-between. It was a very good thing that it was Friday, October 31 at 5:45 in the afternoon because only about a quarter of the people remained in the offices. That was about the only good thing that happened that evening.

Everyone was surging across the lobby much to the chagrin of the security guards. As the leaders of the pack finally made it out of the front door there was an almost unanimous gasp at what they saw. Billowing smoke clouds rolled out of the parking garage next door where nearly everyone parked. From the ground, the people could see that the top two floors had caved in and the firemen and the police as well as FBI officials surrounding the building. The fire trucks themselves were too big to fit inside of the parking garage so they were battling the flames from outside.

One single unit had mange dot stay together and it hit them almost at the same exact time, "Sue and Lucy! Oh my God," Tara gasped her hand flying to her mouth.

Together, the entire unit went pale. Leslie let out a string of curse words that put the ones Bobby was saying to shame and D was digging for his phone to call Lucy while Jack tried to get a hold of Sue.

"She's not answering," D said as he desperately hit redial.

"Neither is Sue," Jack muttered a curse under his breath.

"We've got to let them know that there are people inside," Myles said, the calmest of the unit by far.

"Where was Lucy parked, Tara?" Jack asked in a terror-hardened voice.

"I-I- I don't know," Tara stuttered.

"Think Tara, think, this could save their lives," D urged.

"I think it was on the second floor from the top," Tara whispered.

Jack swore again, pointing to the garage, "That's the floor went."

Myles looked grim, "Out of the way!" He shouted, "We need to talk to the fire department!" He stared shoving people out of the way as the unit ran as fast as was possible in the mob. The mob that was growing more panicked by the second, rumors of a terrorist attack moving through the crowd like a cold winter wind.

It took them almost ten minutes, but the group finally pushed their way to where the police were trying to clear the area, "GET BACK EVERYONE, MAKE ROOM PEOPLE!" A harassed, terrified looking cop that had to be just out of college was screaming into a bull horn.

"There are people up there, people from our unit," D shouted to him, pointing up to the fire now licking the outsides of the windows.

"There are probably more than just a few people trapped up there," the cop replied as he moved toward D, "But how many?"

"Two women and a dog," Jack replied, "One of the women is deaf."

The cop looking increasingly nervous, "Okay, I'll let someone know."

"Who?" Bobby asked.

"One of the fire fighters," he replied.

"Not good enough, tell the fire chief," Bobby said.

"I can't do that, I can't leave my post."

Bobby ducked around the barriers, "Then I'll tell him."

"You can't go back there!" the young cop shouted.

"Try and stop me," Bobby muttered as he, followed closely by Jack, pushed toward the fire chief.

Bobby steeped in front of the older graying man as he turned around, "We know that there are people in there."

"So do we. We've run the video camera feed and we know that there are five people in there still, everyone else was evacuated…and there's a dog."

Jack stepped forward, "One of the women in there, the one with the dog, is deaf. She won't-" Jack was cut off by the sound of shouting.

All three men turned to see three battered looking men being helped form the building. The fire chief followed by Jack and Bobby jogged over to them. The fire chief squatted in front of them, "Are you alright? Do you know what happened?"

The oldest of the men coughed and shook his head, "I was getting into my car when there was this explosion, followed by a bigger one. I was lucky to get out of there alive."

A younger man with blonde hair piped up, "I think I know what happened. I was in my car looking through some papers quickly before I left and I remember hearing some women talking. They stopped then the first blast happened. I tried to find them but the smoke was too thick. It was pure luck that I stumbled across the exit."

The last man was an African American with short cropped hair, "I was the only car on the top floor. I was about three steps from my car when the explosion knocked me down. The second one took the floor with it but I was able to get to the stairs where I met up with these guys."

"So they're still inside," Jack muttered another string of curses, "You have to send someone in there to help them."

"That's not a good idea," The blond guy spoke up, "the walls could go at any moment, it's too dangerous."

"There are two women in there still; do they deserve to be left up there to die?" Jack hissed.

Nobody said anything; but the blonde man was shaking his head. Then there was a third explosion.

* * *

**Commercial Break**

* * *

"Sue? SUE!" Lucy cried as she crawled across the trembling floor, knowing it could go at any moment, "LEVI!"

She coughed again, pausing to wipe the tears from her eyes. When her hand found the floor again, she felt something metal. She ran her hands up it and realized it was the escape door. Lucy had two choices, leave the door and risk losing it forever or going down the stairs and risk losing her best friend forever.

Lucy stood up and pushed the door back, "HELP! HELP ME SOMEONE! HELP ME, PLEASE HELP ME!" She doubled over again, fearing that she didn't have enough voice-or strength- to keep yelling for much longer. She turned behind her and screamed as loudly as she could, "LEVI! LEVI!"

Suddenly she felt someone grab her arm, "Come with me miss, we have to get you out of here, it's not safe!"

"My friend, she's in there still and so is Levi!" Lucy shouted as she tried to pull away from the masked fire fighter.

The firefighter pointed behind him to a team of six men and a fire hose, "They'll find your friend, you need to come with me."

Without another word, he swung the woman up over his shoulder like she weighted nothing and began to trot down the stairs, but as the distance grew, the fire in Lucy's heart threatened to burn her up from the inside out.

* * *

The leash around Sue's wrist was cutting off her circulation but there was no way she was letting Levi go. She was following him as the two crawled across the floor that was trembling so badly even the dog knew it was about to fail. She was unsure how long she had been crawling but a sense of panic was trying to get into her head, but Sue knew she mustn't let it. If she was going to get out of here alive, she had to keep her head. Suddenly Levi jerked on the leash so hard Sue tumbled to her face. Then there were arms around her yanking her up and pulling her somewhere faster than she had ever gone before, or so it seemed.

Just as her vision was beginning to clear, Sue realized that she was being pulled down stairs followed by a number of people. Not that she could tell, but panic was thick in the men's voices, "The floor is going to go, we need to get out of here!"

They were all running, dragging the half conscious woman with them and the dog that had alerted them in the lead. As much as they hated to admit it, the firefighters were about to give up and leave, truly believing that the woman was dead. Thank God they had waited just a few more minutes.

They had just reached the exit as when the floor gave way under a roar so huge it rattled Sue's very bones. She and the firemen who were helping her tumbled down and were dragged to safety by another group of people. There were so many people were around that Sue was so lost and confused it seemed like she would never get her bearings back.

But suddenly arms were encircling her, crushing arms of more than one person, she gave her eyes a swift rubbing and finally she could see her team gathered around her, Jack, Lucy, Bobby, D, Tara, Myles, and even Leslie. They were all talking to her but the only the person's face closest to her made any sense, it was Jack saying, "My God, I thought I had lost you."

* * *

The clock read ten thirty but there was still a group of people still gathered around the living room of an apartment in Washington D.C., all listening to two women's accounts of what had happened in a car bombing that had nearly taken their lives. Sue had explained how Levi had saved her life by attracting the firefighter's attention but now everyone was focused on Lucy, "Then I found the door and started yelling for help. I wasn't going to leave Sue but I was afraid that if I didn't keep my hand on the door, I'd never be able to find it again. Then the firefighter brought me back to the ground floor and you know the rest," Lucy finished telling her story for the third time that night.

"And you're sure your okay?" Tara asked for the tenth time that evening.

"I'm fine, just a little shaken," Lucy replied rubbing the scrape on her arm that was the most serious of all her injuries.

"How about you Sue, are you okay?" Tara asked gazing deeply into her coworkers eyes, looking for the truth.

"I'm fine," Sue smiled, looking a lot better than she felt.

Leslie patted Levi on the head and stood up, "We should all go so you three can get some rest."

Mummers of agreement filled the room and everyone filed out, each one telling Levi what a good boy he was and telling the women that if they needed anything to just call.

Jack was the last one out of the apartment, Sue stood in the doorway without a single visible mark on her. Jack thanked God again, **you okay? **He asked again.

**I'm okay. **She looked into his brown eyes, **you okay?**

He just smiled, **I'm better than I was.**

**Me too. **Sue replied.

**We'll get him. ** Jack signed, knowing Sue knew that he was walking about Ibrahim Najjar.

She smiled softly, **We usually do.**

They stood for a moment in silence before one of those smiles crept across Agent Hudson's face, one of those contagious smiles, but he didn't say a word. With that smile and a wave, he set off down the hall towards the elevator, leaving Sue watching his back. It was turning out to be one of those days were she was wishing that she could read minds, not just lips.

* * *

**I love Yannick Bisson's smile, I've just got to say that. Anyway, how was that action? I rather suck at action writing but this literately flew out of my fingers. I had so many typos it wasn't even funny. When I have to write something, I get it all out without stopping to fix anything…which means many typos…so if I missed any SORRY! Did you see that romance in there? Jack and Sue aren't legitimately going to get together in this story, I simply cannot do that when it didn't happen in the show, it just won't come out right; I'm a writing perfectionist, remember? **

**I have a new list of actors (pictures of profile as always):**

**Young Cop- **Zac Efron

**Chief- **Jameson Parker

_The men who were in the fire:_

**Blond Man- **Paul Wesley

**Older Man- **David Strathairn

**African American Man- **Will Smith

**There would also be a bunch of fire-fighting guys but I'm not going to cast them…they aren't all that important. **

**Review lovies!**

**~Agent Striker **


	16. Chapter 16

**Sorry it's been a while…but I'm fighting with a bout of writer's block…but thanks to my 43 readers and two reviewers:**

_Nameless_

Proudtobeamerican18

**You two are awesome! Anyway…**

* * *

"If I find out that you're holding out on me Skin, you won't live to regret it. I want answers. Call me when you get anything, understand?" without waiting for an answer, Jack slammed down the phone.

Nobody in the office looked up; this had been going on all morning, and not just from Jack. Of all of the sources that the agents had (37 combined), not one of them had a thing, plus Skin was the last one on the list. No one seemed to know anything about the bombing other the rumors that the FBI had put on the street.

"This is not going well," Leslie sighed.

There wasn't any answer from the glum office; it was turning out to be one of those cruddy mornings. "Did anybody call Howie?" Tara asked tiredly.

The entire population of the bull pen made a face and Jack announced, "I'm not calling him, on a day like this I'd be more likely to kill him then talk to him."

"I'll second that motion," Myles agreed. "Why don't we just wait for him to call us?"

"Because he might drop in for a visit rather than use a phone," D replied, "You call him, Myles."

"No thank you. I vote for Bobby…Howie does seem a little…infatuated with him."

Bobby shot Myles a look that might be described as I-am-now-plotting-to-murder-you-in-the-most-…-_unpleasant_-way-possible, "No."

"I'll call him," a voice announced for the door to the bull pen.

All eyes and heads swiveled to the sound of the voice, "Sue, what are you doing here? You should be at home resting or something," Jack said

"I took the weekend off and anyways, I'm fine. I went to the doctor like a good girl, got a clean bill of health, as well as he said that I could come to work if I wanted to. So I did," Sue shrugged as she unclipped Levi's leash and hung it up along with her coat.

Tara waited until Sue had taken a seat at her desk before asking, "How's Lucy?"

"Still a little shaken up. She was talking to her mom when I left, but I don't think she'll be in today," Sue replied as she turned on her computer. With her eyes watching the screen, no one bothered to try and persuade her to go home, they knew she was just being stubborn.

Clicking open her email account, Sue mindlessly tapped her password into the box and waited patiently for everything to load. When the inbox screen popped up, Sue was glad to see that there were only three emails, one detailing a meeting she had missed and two from addresses she didn't recognize. She clicked on the first email from someone called 'hades129' and gasped aloud as she read the message, bringing all her coworkers running.

"What?" Jack asked as he peered over her should at the email on the screen. Sue wordlessly pointed to the short and to-the-point message:

**You and Miss Dotson were very lucky Miss Thomas, escaping the teeth of death like you did. I was aiming to get her, but you know, it never even occurred to me that I could kill two birds with one stone; a very interesting idea indeed. **

**But just so we're clear, you won't be so lucky next time. It's a well known fact that everyone will die. And believe me Miss Thomas, you and your friends will be meeting the Grim Reaper very soon. **

"That little-" Bobby muttered as he read the message.

"Tara, can you trace the email?" Jack asked as Tara moved back to her computer.

"It's a free email site Jack, it could come from anywhere."

Jack took a deep breath, "Okay, we need to send this guy a message that we aren't afraid of him."

"How?" Leslie asked as she re-read the email.

Tara sat a little straighter and grinned, "We'll reply to the email…and add something extra to it."

"Like what?" D asked.

"Like some super-duper-pooper-scooper -nobody-can-ever-get-through-it spyware."

"I'm beginning to like the sound of this," Bobby said.

"What is a 'super-duper-pooper-scooper?" Myles asked disgustedly, as though even repeating the words were below him.

Nobody bothered to answer, aside from Leslie's, "Weren't you ever a kid?"

Tara had opened Sue's email account and was typing furiously, "This spyware is undetectable by any computer outside of the government, it installs in 24.29 seconds, and begins transmitting a signal we can pick up in under one minute." She clicked a few more times then asked, "So what are we going to write?"

"Oh, I want to do it!" Leslie said, making a beeline for Tara's computer.

Tara pushed her chair back and Leslie typed a to-the-point message that rivaled the one that had been sent to them:

**We're going to get you Najjar. It's **_**you**_** the Grim Reaper is going to visit, not me or any of my coworkers. Better start planning your obituary, you're going to be needing it soon…I was thinking something short; like this:**

**Crazy **

**Murder**

**Radical**

**Terrorist**

**That about sums it up, right?**

Leslie stepped back to let the rest of the team inspect the letter. Aside from a few minor typos, the team agreed that it made them sound like they weren't afraid. "But it doesn't sound like Sue wrote it," Myles complained.

"Sue is a sweetheart; she is not capable of being mean, even if it is a terrorist that we're talking about. I however do not have that problem. I tend to be mean without trying," Before anyone else could object, the red head pressed send and closed the email with an air of finality.

With nothing left to say, the rest of the team slowly drifted back to their desks. Jack picked up a can of Diet Coke and casually opened it but as Leslie passed him by, she took a whiff of the air and with a gasp, lunged at the can, knocking it to the ground.

"What was that for?" Jack demanded, more surprised than angry.

At the sound of the can hitting the floor and the liquid splashing, Levi trotted over to investigate, "No!" Leslie shouted as she gave the poor dog a swift kick.

With a whimper, Levi ran to the safety of his owner with his tale between his legs, "Leslie, what is the matter with you?" Tara asked.

"Didn't you smell that?" Leslie demanded of Jack as she carefully bent to retrieve the soda can.

"Smell what?"

"The almonds," Leslie replied as she shoved the can under Agent Hudson's nose.

Looking confused, he shook his head. Spinning around to the rest of the team, Leslie asked, "Does this smell odd to you?"

Bobby nodded, Myles shook his head, Tara shook her head, Sue nodded, and D nodded.

"I think its cyanide. It's got that bitter almonds smell that not everyone can detect," Leslie said as she carefully dropped the can into a plastic bag.

"Cyanide is a poison," Sue said slowly.

"And it wouldn't be in a soda bottle normally," Bobby continued.

"So it had to be put there," Jack finished grimly, his eyes glued to the bag containing the can, "and I bet I know who put it there."

The words not said were a lot louder than the one Sue nearly whispered, her eyes showing her mounting fear, "Najjar."

* * *

**Muhahaha, cliffy! Did you like it? **

**I just want to recommend a book, ****The Book Thief**** by Markus Zusak. It's about WWII and it's narrated by Death…sorry, all these death threats remind me of it. I like dark/sarcastic humor, which this book is made of so if you like that, check it out. It's an amazing book, trust me!**

**~S **


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys, I'm back! I'd really like to thank my 34 readers and REVIEWER (as in singular):**

proudtobeamerican18

**I just want to add a special thanks to **proudtobeamerican18**, who is a very consistent reviewer…it means a lot to me! **

**Anyways…are you all excited to see what's going to happen next? I wish I knew…**

* * *

"I still can't figure out how he got up here," Bobby muttered as he watched as the lab people finished up their work around Jack's desk.

"Where did you get the soda?" a lab guy asked. He was a short man of Japanese heritage with spiky black hair and steel framed glasses.

Jack thought for a moment, "I think I got it out of one of the vending machines this morning."

"Do you do that every morning?"

Jack shook his head, "No, usually I have coffee. I just felt like something different today."

The man stood up, "Well, I'm glad that I'm just a lab guy. I'll leave the crime solving to you."

He turned with a wave and as he headed out he almost ran Leslie over, "Leslie! I didn't know you were back in D.C.!"

Leslie's normally pale skin dropped a level, "Oh, Arnold…I'm just in D.C. for a few weeks."

He nodded and looking hopeful asked, "Maybe we could do dinner or something?"

Leslie had a look that resembled that of a trapped animal, "Umm-" she was paused and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. Glancing at the number she turned to Arnold, "I'm sorry, I've got to take this."

She turned away as he called out, "We'll talk later."

Leslie grimaced but quickly covered it with a smile. Arnold grinned and shifted the bag of stuff he had brought with him from the lab and headed in to opposite direction of Leslie. As soon as he was out of sight, the agent said hung up on whoever she was talking to. She moved toward her desk but was stopped by Bobby, "Who was that?"

"On the phone, no one. The creeper lab dude, Arnold Ito, my secret admirer."

"Secret admirer?"

Leslie shuttered, "He wrote me all these letters last time I was in D.C., but he was stupid enough to put his return address on the letters so one day I hung around to see who my secret admirer was."

Myles smirked, "How lovely."

Leslie groaned, "Not at all. He's just a stalker with stationary."

"Why don't you tell him to leave you alone?" Tara asked.

"Because he won't admit he wrote the letters and it's not like they're perverted or anything. He just writes poems about me…or more specifically my eyes."

The whole office laughed, "Poems?" Myles asked in mock surprise.

She nodded, "Poems. He thinks he's a regular Robert Frost or something."

As the banter continued, Sue watched each of her coworker's faces'. The mood had been heavy and dark with fear after Jack had almost been poisoned. Sue didn't know where Leslie had disappeared to, but if possible the mood had sunk closer to the floor. When she had returned, she was carrying with her that trade mark grin and yet another crazy story that made the entire office forget.

Forget about the threats and the attempted murders and Najjar and the fear; even for just a moment. It was a good feeling Sue decided as she watched her teammates. Life at the FBI was tough, brutal at times. The long hours and stress and the things everyone saw on the job could make a person lose their perspective of the real world. There wasn't much humor in the job, but Leslie was an exception to the rule. She laughed at death, when she fell down she got back up. Sue let herself smile, Leslie was exactly what this team needed at this moment.

* * *

Nothing came of the rest of the day. No leads, no phone calls, no attempted murders, no real murders, and no Howie. No one knew anything that they didn't know the day before.

"Well, this day was a waste of makeup," Leslie muttered as she slammed her phone down on the desk.

"Trust me, the makeup wasn't a waste-" Myles began.

"I have this feeling that I should be readying myself to shoot you."

"because if you weren't wearing it, we'd all be blind."

Leslie made a gun out of her thumb and pointer finger, "Bang! You're dead."

Bobby leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head, "You know, they say that guns don't kill people, that people kill people. I think that the gun helps, because, as Leslie just demonstrated, if you point at someone and yell 'BANG', they don't die."

Suddenly, Myles let out a groan and slumped forward onto his desk.

Instantly, the entire office was crowded around the prone figure, "Oh My God," Leslie screeched. As D reached for the telephone and Bobby reached to feel the agent's pulse, Myles popped back up, "Gotcha."

"That's not funny Myles," Tara gasped, "I thought that Najjar had gotten to you!"

The rest of the team was laughing nervously and Leslie was sneaking up behind Myles, "You know, it takes forty-two muscles to frown, twenty-eight muscles to smile, and only four to reach out and slap someone. Since it's been such a long day, I think I'll do the easiest thing possible."

Without waiting for a reply, Leslie slapped Myles in the head as hard as she could…which was pretty darn hard to tell you the truth. "Ouch! It was just a joke!"

"I was just giving you my option of your little joke, Myles," Leslie replied sweetly as she scooted back to her desk.

Sue smiled and turned back to her computer. She was just about to shut it down for the day when she remembered the two emails that had remained unread in her inbox after she had gotten the message from Najjar. She quickly signed in and deleted the first email, which was some worthless advertisement that had somehow gotten through her spam filter. The second email was from someone called BlackBird; the message went something like this:

**Sue Thomas:**

**If you want to know more about me, the Strikers, and Ibrahim Najjar, meet me at the old Hartman warehouse at the corner of Jackson and Blew at midnight tonight. Don't bring anybody, not even your cute partner. **

**Raven **

Sue reread the message four more times, adding more and more questions to her mind each time. How did Raven know that she would be interested in the Strikers…and how did she know Ibrahim Najjar? Sue had been so lost in her own world she hadn't seen most of her coworkers slowly leaving. Tara, the only one who was left, was just slinging her jacket on and picking her purse up from the floor. "You want to walk out with me?" Tara asked.

Sue nodded as she quickly closed her email account as Tara ventured closer to her desk. She was still reeling from the email and wondering what she should do. Sue absently followed Tara, not getting any of what the other woman was saying. When they got into the elevator, Tara waved her hand in front of Sue, "Hey, are you okay? You've been awfully quiet the last couple days."

Sue gave her head a slight shake, "Oh, it's just this case. And that girl I told you about, I'm worried about her."

Tara nodded sympathetically, "What's the matter?"

Sue was trying to decide what she should and shouldn't tell Tara when the elevator grounded to a halt and the lights faltered once, twice, then remained off. "Of all the times to do this," Tara muttered as she gently reached out for the wall. Of the three emergency lights in the elevator, only the one above the panel was lit. Tara turned back to Sue and signed, **Stay**. Sue nodded and watched as her companion stepped forward toward the panel. The light on the panel blinked again and Tara reached out in the dark to where she believed the panel was. Just as her fingers brushed the cold metal of the elevator, a painful sensation ran up her arm and down the right side of her body to her toes. She let out a scream and leapt backwards much to the surprise of her companions.

Tara's hand was still tingling as her mind roared in confusion. Why had she gotten such a shock from touching the metal side of the elevator?

The little light above the panel blinked on again and it seemed to signal a light in Tara's brain. Somehow, some person had stopped the elevator and did something to make all the metal in the elevator electrified. Tara watched the panel for a moment before she got this nasty sinking feeling. She was willing to bet that the panel was where most of the electricity was…but then the sinking feeling escalated…but this time it was the elevator around her that were sinking downward.

* * *

**As my favorite cartoon dog would say, "RUT ROW!" I hope Tara, Sue, and Levi are going to be okay! I think I'll update ASAP…but I think I said that I was going to update another one of my stories TODAY…oh crud. Got to go…Oh, wait!**

**Lab Dude: AKA Arnold Ito- Masi Oka (From Heros)**

**Review lovies!**

**~Striker **


	18. Chapter 18

**This promises to be an interesting chapter…but no cliff hanger for **proudtobeamerican18**(also a special thanks to my nameless buddy reviewer, glad you caught up)! Just this once at least…although it's likely that there will be more cliffys…I'm just evil that way…maybe if I got more reviews… : ] **

* * *

Tara took a deep breath and told herself not to panic, now was simply not the time to succumb to silly fears. She reached into her pocket, retrieved her cell phone, then held it open near her face, "Sue, we have to stay away from the sides of the elevator. It's electrified."

Sue let out a little gasp, letting Tara know that she had understood, "Tara, do you feel the floor moving?" She asked.

Tara nodded and pulled on Levi's leash so that he sat between Sue and herself, plenty far away from the walls, "The falling elevator is the least of our problems. It has several devices that will stop it…but in case they backfired, at the rate we're going, we'd be fine."

"What are we going to do?"

Tara thought for a moment, "We're going to call our team. If we yell, we'll probably be heard but someone might touch the elevator before the power is off and get killed," the agent paused and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the killer walls, "And we need to stay calm."

Sue nodded, "Stay calm. Got it."

Tara attempted a smile, "I'll start with Bobby and Leslie; you can start with Jack and Lucy. From there we'll work our way down the list."

Sue nodded, her fear masked with grim determination. It was a face that was going to get done what needed to.

* * *

Bobby Manning was stretched out on the slightly smelly couch in his living room with ESPN on. He had a date tonight, but in light of the recent events, he had cancelled it. Plus the idea of lounging on the couch with a delivered pizza and a cold beer sounded extremely nice. He had grudgingly placed his phone on the table beside him; just in case. He had been dozing when the _riiiiiinnnng, riiiiiinnnng, _of his phone and jarred him awake, "Manning."

"Bobby, it's Tara." Bobby sat up at the sound of his coworker's voice. The steady, stable voice of Tara's that was so familiar to him was replaced by something that sounded slightly strangled.

"What's the matter?"

"Sue and I are trapped in the elevator at work."

"What?" Bobby nearly shouted, jumping up from the couch, "Are you okay?"

"We are for now, but the thing is that the metal parts of the elevator are electrified…thank God for carpet…otherwise we would have been fried by now."

A string of curse words formed in his mind but he reframed from using any of them, "Alright, I'm on my way."

"You have to make sure that _all _the power to the elevator is off, otherwise whoever touches it is going to get seriously hurt…or worse."

Bobby was already to his car, "You just hang in there, I'm on my way."

"The elevator also seems to be…falling," Tara added in the same strangled tone, "And I'm afraid that we're going to lose cell service."

"How fast are you falling?"

"Not fast enough to kill us."

"Be careful Tara," Bobby said forcefully as he hung up and put his car into gear. He gunned the engine and flew out of the parking lot at sixty-five, praying that he would get there in time.

* * *

The elevator's decent had begun to speed up almost as soon as Tara had hung up on Bobby and both women knew it, although neither of them had said anything. Tara was beginning to wonder if the emergency stops were still in order, she knew that they should have stopped the elevator by now. Sue was just praying.

* * *

"Jack?"

Without wasting time on pleasantries, Agent Hudson asked, "What's wrong?"

Sue took a deep breath, "Tara, Levi, and I are stuck in a booby-trapped elevator at the office and we think that Najjar is the one behind it and if we touch the elevator, we'll get electrocuted and the elevators falling," she finished. At another time, Jack might have been impressed that she got that all out in one sentence, but not now.

Jack was silent for a moment, "I'm on my way."

He had pulled his phone away from his ear and was closing it as Sue's whisper came through, "Please hurry."

* * *

The phone rang seven times before a disgruntled sounding Leslie answered, "WHAT?"

"Leslie, you need to come back to the office-"

"Tara, where are you? I can hardly hear you!"

"Elevator-" static, "booby-trapped," more static, "Najjar."

That was all Agent McDaniels needed. She slammed the phone shut and hurried to grab her coat out of the closet.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the entire team had gathered in the lobby, surrounding the father-son team that were FBI's most talented, and trusted, electricians. Bobby had called D and Myles, Jack had contacted Lucy, who was now in tears. Leslie was the last to arrive and the last to get any call. Her outfit was rather interesting…baggy black sweatpants rolled at her thin waist, a dirty green tank top, flip-flops, a messy bun, no makeup, and a eighty dollar pea coat. At another time, another place, it might have been funny. But no one was laughing now, especially not Leslie. She was pacing up and down, looking a sickly shade of green.

"We're going to have to shut off the whole half of the building," Dewayne Wallace, the elder electrician announced grimly.

Bobby nodded, "Then what?"

"We're going to have to try and get them out," the son, Tony, shrugged, "We've already called the fire department, they should be able to help us."

Leslie continued to pace back and forth neurotically, "We need to hurry."

"We're going as fast as we can, we have to be careful. We don't know how this thing is bobby-trapped…someone trying to get them out could set off some sort of chain reaction," Tony explained as he followed his father who lead the team down into the bowels of the Hover Building.

"What kind of chain reaction?" D asked hesitantly.

"Anything."

Nobody asked for any more details.

* * *

"Sue, can I tell you something?" Tara asked, squeezing her eyes shut.

"What's wrong Tara?" Sue asked, reaching out to grasp her friend's hand.

"Sometimes I get claustrophobic."

"I didn't get all of that," Sue said, leaning so that she could see Tara's face better.

"**C-L-A-U-S-T-R-O-P-H-I-C**," Tara replied, "I don't really like spending long amounts of time in small spaces.

Sue smiled reassuringly, "We're going to be okay, we'll get out of here soon."

Tara tried to smile but it came across as more of a grimace, "There's always that chance…but somehow it doesn't seem likely."

It was Sue's turn to take a deep breath and tell herself that she had to keep her head on straight, "Don't panic. You're fine, I'm fine, Levi's fine, everybody's fine! Just pretend that you're in a nice open field somewhere."

Tara nodded softly. Sue smiled, "That's it. Now tell me about this field."

Tara took a long, shuttering breath as she tried to keep clam, "Well, there's a wide stream running across it…"

* * *

The team stood in silence watching as the electricians talked back and forth as they shut off the power and the elevator. From their position in the basement, they could hear the elevator grounding down the shaft; it would slow up, then blast off again. It was making everyone nervous, and the electricians kept saying things like, "The breaks should have stopped it by now," and "It shouldn't keep starting and stopping like that." Talk like that was making the spectators increasingly nervous, "Isn't there something that you can do to make it stop?" Bobby cringed as the elevator screeched into action again.

Tony shrugged, "There's nothing we really can do. There's a final stop before it hits the bottom of the shaft, a flat springboard…but until it reaches that, it's going to keep going."

"Is there any chance that the spring board might fail?" Myles asked quietly, much to the displeasure of the rest of the group.

Dewayne nervously cleared his throat, "Why don't you folks go wait for the fire department? You can bring them down here while we finish up."

"I think we were just dismissed," Leslie muttered as she led the group back up the stairs.

"I think that we were asking too many questions that they didn't have answers for," Bobby replied angrily.

"I'm glad they sent us back up here," Lucy sniffled.

Nobody made any move to comfort her and nobody said anything else. As they stood at the top of the stairs outside of the building waiting for the fire department the team stood lost in their own thoughts, their own fears. They all had come to the same conclusion that Najjar was getting way to close and he needed to be stopped. And it needed to happen soon.

* * *

"Hey, are you two okay?" A voice echoed down into the elevator.

Tara had never been so glad to hear anyone in her entire life, "Yes, we're okay!"

"Great! We're going to be lowering a ladder down; you'll need to move back towards the wall!"

"Is the power off?" Tara called up.

"Yep, everything's off."

Tara pulled Sue and Levi towards the wall of the elevator as the top hatch opened and a handsome face illuminated by a giant flashlight appeared, followed closely by an aluminum ladder, "Come on up, ladies."

"What about Levi?" Sue asked.

The fireman looked at the dog, "Umm, I'll come down and get him, I guess."

Sue nodded. To Tara she said, "You go, I'll wait for Levi to go up."

**Thank you, **Tara signed gratefully. Without looking back she scooted up the ladder and carefully stepped over the lip of the hatch, grateful to be out of the box-like cell. "Are you okay?" the surprisingly young firefighter asked.

"Oh, I'm fine," Tara said with a forced smile.

The young man didn't look like he believed her, but he shrugged, "Okay. You stay right here, I'm going to go and help your friend and her dog."

Tara nodded and watched as he disappeared down the ladder. Yanking her compact out of her purse, she looked at her face. Other than her abnormally pale face, she looked okay. Tara had barely put the compact back into her purse when Levi's furry head appeared at the opening in the ceiling of the elevator.

Tara reached for him and helped pull him to safety, and the firefighter appeared behind him, "Thanks."

A few seconds later, Sue's head poked up and everyone was safely atop the elevator. The elevator had stopped about six feet from the lobby door, and it was stuck between the basement and the last used stop. It was now only a matter of climbing up the second ladder to the first floor.

* * *

"Tara!" Leslie screeched as one of the firemen helped pull the agent up from the elevator shaft, "Are you okay?"

Tara nodded as the red head wrapped her arms around her, "I'm fine."

"What happened to your hand?" Bobby asked as he materialized next to the duo.

Tara looked at the tips of her fingers which had three red, blisters on them, "Oh, that. I touched the side of the elevator, it's nothing."

"I'll be the judge of that," A short woman said. In her left hand she held a small black bag and her uniform proclaimed she was a paramedic.

She carefully took Tara's hand, "You're going to have to go to the hospital. Electrical burns can look a lot less menacing then they really are, there could be serious internal damage. For now, I'll wrap your fingers up and send you on your way."

Tara opened her mouth to disagree, but Bobby and Leslie's looks shut her up. The paramedic led her away just as a furry dog hopped up onto the tile of the lobby. "Levi!" Lucy cried out as the dog ran over to her, tail wagging. Sue and the fireman too were now standing in the elevator shaft and everything seemed like it was going to okay.

Jack moved toward Sue but a loud grinding, squealing noise stopped him. All eyes turned toward the elevator shaft. Red sparks shot upwards and the entire lobby seemed to shake as the elevator hit the bottom of the shaft.

"I thought that the elevator wasn't going to hit the bottom," Bobby said to the electricians after a few seconds of shocked silence.

"Yes, what about that final stop?" Myles added.

"Someone must have tampered with it," came the reply.

"That's pretty obvious," D said.

The elder electrician sighed, "We'll need to look at the elevator again before we can tell you anything else."

"The fire inspector is on his way," a blond lady firefighter piped up.

"And I think it would be best if both of you went to the hospital," the paramedic who was just finishing up wrapping Tara's hand added.

"Jack, I got an email from Raven," Sue whispered, "She wants me to meet her tonight at midnight…by myself."

Jack's face when a little stony, "And when were you going to tell me about this?"

Sue blushed and her answer came out as more of a question than an answer, "Tomorrow?"

Jack let out a disgruntled sigh, "Sue…"

"Miss, you need to come with us now," a paramedic called.

"The email is still in my account and the password is Levi21. Read what she wrote…then you should meet her instead of me. You might want to bring her in as well."

"Okay, I will," Jack squeezed Sue's hand before she followed Tara to the ambulance, making her smile. The remainder of the unit watched their friends go and Bobby announced, "I think that we need go back to work."

"I agree," Jack said as he headed toward the door marked 'Stairwell'. Sue's actions were confusing…she was smart enough to know that she shouldn't meet with an informant at night, by herself. He needed to read that email…because he was getting this feeling that there was something that Sue hadn't told him.

"By the way, nice outfit Leslie," Myles smirked.

"You like it and you know it."

D rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone to call his wife, "This is going to be a very long night."

* * *

**There. No cliffy.**

**I just want to say that I was going to finish and post this on Friday, but it was 102 (and in PA where I live, that doesn't happen very often) so I went swimming with my Dad. It was great…but I was like under water the whole time and I got a bunch of water in my sinuses and had one killer headache…so I went to bed…and tossed and turned until four thirty. **

**So that's my reason…don't hate me! **

**Keep cool and review me up!**

**~Agent Striker **


	19. Chapter 19

**Agent Striker says: "Hey guys! I just wanted to thank my 37 readers and my three reviewers:**

Gremlinpugs**- I'm glad you went back to read the whole story! The first few chapters make me cringe they're so awful, but I think it gets better! Why didn't the summary interest you? Is there any way I could make it a little more interesting? **

_The Ghost- _**I'm glad you liked the fuzzies, I put them in there with you in mind!**

proudtobeamerican18- **You're so nice to me! And yes, I'm 14 but I'll be a high school freshman next year! I hope you're keeping cool!"**

**Agent Striker is in a lot of pain, and it is all her fault. She laid outside yesterday for 3 hours and got some major sunburn, especially on her back and the tops of the backs of her legs. So basically, her rear end hurts. She did however get a nice tan on her face and shoulders. **_**That**_** however doesn't make up for her stupidity. She KNOWS better and she really doesn't want skin cancer when she's older. So to sum it all up, Striker feels miserable and really bad for herself. She's having a pity part and told me to apologize if this chapter stinks. **

**Thank you, **

**Striker's Other Personality**

**P.S. Striker also says, and I quote, "The end might be closer than you think." Rather creepy. Is she talking about ending her life due to the sun burn or the end of the story? I'm thinking the sun burn thing, but I really have no idea what she's talking about so don't even bother to ask. **

**S.O. P.**

* * *

"We still have no word on how Najjar could have gotten into the building," Myles announced two hours after the team had returned to the bull pen.

Leslie groaned, "Don't remind us."

"This is just intolerable," D muttered, "He's gotten through security at least two times and this is the FBI building. He's making a laughing stalk of the Bureau."

No one bothered to reply, they'd all bee thinking the same thing. The room lapsed back into the uneasy quiet. The only sounds were the _click, click, click _of someone's computer keyboard and the _swish, swish _of pages being read then flipped over. There was a _sigh _as someone readjusted their position and wished that they had never heard of Najjar.

Bobby leaned back in his chair, rubbed his eyes, and studied the clock. For just after midnight, he was feeling awfully tired. He took a sip of the coffee he had poured from the pot near Tara's desk sometime ago and made a face, "Who made this coffee? It's awful."

"Myles," D and Leslie replied.

Myles shrugged, "What? I just drink coffee, I don't make it."

Bobby pushed the offending cup away from him, "And I think you need to stay away from the coffee maker from now on. Who wants to make a coffee run?"

"I will," Leslie volunteered. "I could use some caffeine."

This made everyone in the bull pen stop working. "You are not allowed to drink coffee," D said, "I need you to be able to sit still, focus, and not distract the rest of the team. I know how you act after you ingest caffeine."

Leslie looked indignant, "I'm not that bad."

"Need I remind you of the Tillman stakeout?" Myles asked. "You couldn't sit down for more than thirty seconds and you would _not _stop pacing."

Leslie shrugged, "I'd been up for thirty-seven hours straight, I needed it."

"You don't need it now," Bobby muttered, "I'd probably end up tying you to your chair then locking you in the janitor's closet."

D cut in before the rather annoyed looking Leslie could reply, "Besides, I need you to go and talk to Tara at the hospital and give Sue a ride home if she needs it."

"At midnight?"

"The hospital's open 24/7, so yes, at midnight."

Leslie looked down at her clothes as she reached for her jacket, "I think I'll stop at home and change. I don't want my pjs getting all hospital-y on me."

D rolled his eyes, Bobby shook his head, and Myles looked utterly confused. Leslie left the bull pen and the quiet returned for about half an hour before Lucy reentered, "I got the papers you wanted, Jack," She said, holding a single sheet of paper. When there was no reply, all eyes turned to Jack's desk, where the agent was not.

"Where is he?" Lucy asked.

Bobby wandered over to his friend's desk and wiggled the mouse. The computer screen blinked to life to reveal an email. Bobby skimmed it then said aloud, "He went to meet with one of Sue's informants…someone named 'Raven'…at a warehouse about half an hour from here judging from the address. Apparently he knows something about Najjar."

"And he went by himself?" D asked.

Lucy moved toward Jack's desk when Bobby mentioned the name Raven. Skimming the email, and noting the fact that Jack was in Sue's email account, she cut into the conversation going on around her, "Raven is the girl Sue and Jack met at the hospital…she's the deaf girl that's part of the Striker gang."

The three remaining agents were already reaching for their coats and arguing over who would be driving. "Are you sure you should go?" Lucy asked, tagging along behind the three agents. "The email said that _Sue _should come alone. Things could already have gone sour because Jack went in her place."

"That's why we're going," Bobby said as he pushed the door to the stairs open, "in case things have gone sour."

Without another word or a backwards glance, the agents disappeared leaving Lucy looking at a closed door.

* * *

"You should really be going home, not back to the office," Leslie said to Sue at a red light about ten minutes from the office.

Sue rolled her eyes, "I'm fine, Tara's the one they're keeping. Thanks again for the ride; you didn't have to do that."

Leslie shrugged, "D sent me to talk to Tara, but when you said she was sleeping, there was no point in just leaving you there."

Sue laughed, but before she could say anything, Leslie spun around in the driver's seat, "Hey was that-"

"I didn't get that," Sue reminded Leslie gently.

"I think that was Bobby driving that SUV…you think we should follow him?"

Sue shrugged, "f you think so-"

Leslie didn't wait for the rest of the sentence, "Hold on!"

* * *

When he had arrived at the warehouse around quarter 'til twelve, he had watched for a few minutes before he had stepped out of his car and went to the only door he could see. He paused before reaching for it, straining to see what was written on the rusty door. He shifted to the left to let the light of the street light shine on it. There was a picture of a tiny black bird, painted with what smelled like nail polish and when Jack touched it, it was still wet.

He decided to take it as a sign that this was the door Raven wanted him to enter and pulled it open. He waited for a few seconds to let his eyes adjust to the dark before entering and letting the door screech back shut. Making sure his gun was in easy reach, he looked around the room. It was mostly empty, but Agent Hudson could make out a couple crates stacked in the corner. Behind the boxes, he caught a glimpse of a light.

Carefully, Jack worked his way around the crates. Standing by the light of a flashlight was the one and only Raven, in her hand a bottle of black nail polish. She looked more than a little annoyed to see him, **I told Sue to come alone, **she signed.

"**Sue's not here," **Jack replied. He watched the blank face of the girl opposite him and his face hardened, **"Your friend Najjar put her and another agent into the hospital."**

Raven's face may or may not have paled in the dim light, but her signing didn't change, **so you do work for the FBI. **

Jack nodded and waited for her to go on.

She sighed, **Najjar is not my friend. **She paused for a moment, as if weighing her options, **he is my boss. **

Before Jack could say, or sign, another word, the door burst open behind them, sending the agent grabbing for his gun and the girl racing past him.

"STOP, FBI!" A voice shouted, "Jack, mate, you okay?"

In his head, Jack was angry, why had his team have to bust in _now_? He shoved it all away for the moment and shouted, "Come on, we have to catch her!"

Bobby followed Jack as the two raced through the same broken window from which Raven had fled. They toppled into a dark alley, from one end a man was running towards them and Jack recognized it as D and at the other end Myles was trying to hold onto Raven.

She was shrieking and lashing out in true fear. She caught Myles in the eye and he let out a very dirty word but had managed to pull her arms behind her. When the other agents arrived, he was snapping on the cuffs while she struggled and hissed and growled like an animal.

Before anyone could congratulate or ask Myles if he was okay, a car screeched to a halt and a familiar voice called out, "Hey, you guys okay?"

With the agents' eyes averted for a moment, Raven took her chance. Hurling her foot down as hard as possible, she grinned for a fleeting second as Myles let go of her in surprise and pain. Throwing all her weight against D, she knocked him back into the wall, then ran as fast as she could past the stunned agents.

She had almost reached the end of the alley and was still a good distance in front of the agents (even with her cuffed hands) when a man stepped out of the shadows. She didn't know it, but the agents behind her had all dived for cover, recognizing what the man was carrying as well as who it was.

Raven never had a chance. When the shots from the automatic rang out she didn't hear them and Ibrahim Najjar didn't really care if a street girl got in the way of killing the killers that had taken his sons.

* * *

**Agent Striker apologizes for the cliffy…she also says that she's going to bed because this morning at 3, she was up washing the skunk smell off her dog. Talk about a party. **

**Not. **

**Review please.**

**~S.O.P. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Thanks to my amazingly nice and kind and generally amazing reviewers:**

_Nameless_

proudtobeamerican18

Gremlinpugs

**You guys seriously mean so much to me, sometimes I like you all more than my friends and family…but that's another story. The beginning part is in italics because I was going for something with more depth and as a foreshadowing. So…**

* * *

_The alley was bathed in an eerie yellow glow from the only streetlight in the near vicinity. There were eight people in that alley, one was dying inside, one was dying outside, one was on the verge of a panic attack, one was praying, two were cursing (one out loud, the other in his head), one was insane, and one was not. _

_Of those eight people, one person was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to walk out alive…and there was only one thing that could be done. She knew she could get a clean shot if she moved from behind the safety of the car. She knew this was a stupid move, but she also knew that the woman running down the alley had a lot more to live for than she did. And that thought made her decision._

* * *

Sue watched in horror as Najjar fired his gun at Raven, who fell to the ground in an unmoving heap. She didn't even think about what could happen to her before she darted out from behind the safety of Leslie's car. She just knew she had to get to Raven; no sixteen year old girl deserves to die in dirty alley in the middle of DC at the hands of a mad man.

"Sue, no!" Four unanimous voices cried out, frozen in shock and horror as to what was about to happen. All the agents made to follow Sue, but there was another round of gun fire, sending them back to the ground. No one really wanted to look; they couldn't stand the thought of Sue lying in a puddle of blood on the ground.

But Jack and Leslie looked. And while one of them thanked God, one made a choice that would ultimately chance the course of fate.

"Najjar!"

Najjar had his gun trained on Sue as she fell beside Raven, completely oblivious to what was about to happen. Leslie's scream and the sound of his own name startled the man, throwing him for just a second. But a second was all that was needed. Everything seemed to happen in slow-motion from that point on. Leslie's steady hand pulled back the trigger, and the gun's muzzle exploded, sending a bullet towards Najjar's heart. Najjar pulled his automatic weapon up and let off a final round, all the bullets flying over Sue's and Raven's heads, all of them missing their targets, well, all but one.

* * *

"We have an agent and a civilian down! We need an ambulance here stat!" D yelled into his cell phone, his eyes nervously shifting between his agent on the ground and the girl. He knew that one of them was dead.

Sue sat between them, watching in silence. Sue wasn't usually a woman who tried to hide or hold back her feelings, but not a single tear escaped her eyes. The wailing of the ambulance pulled her back from wherever she had been and she let Jack pull her out of the medics way. Normally, her head would have been swinging back and forth trying to keep up with the conversation, but she just stood next to Jack with her eyes focused on her feet.

As the medics put the exceedingly pale Leslie onto a stretcher and began to wheel her towards the awaiting ambulance, her eyes fluttered open and she reached for Sue's hand. Sue jumped as the other woman's hand brushed her. She watched intently as Leslie whispered something before her eyes closed again. Jack touched Sue's hand, said something she didn't catch, and pointed towards his car. She nodded and followed meekly, the rest of the team dispersing to cars in a shocked haze.

The alley that had been bustling with activity quietly dissipated, leaving the coroner, two police officers, and two bodies.

* * *

The waiting room outside of ICU seemed to be a world of its own. There were two lines of chairs, in an 'L' shape and a table covered in year-old magazines. It had been painted a cherry yellow in order to make the Intensive Care Unit seem to be a more friendly place, a place that people that got well in. It really didn't help.

Bobby was pacing between the coffee machine and the door to the care unit itself, muttering incoherently. D stood in the corner, talking on his cell phone in muted tones. Lucy and Tara sat shoulder to shoulder on the bottom of the 'L', sniffling and sharing a box of tissues. Myles was holding a cup of cold coffee he had gotten out of the machine over an hour ago. Jack and Sue sat in the chairs on the other side of the 'L' holding hands.

It took another hour and a half before a doctor appeared, "The family of Miss Leslie McDaniels?" He asked, glancing around the room looking for a red-head.

"We're her coworkers," Tara said standing up.

"We haven't been able to get a hold of her family yet," D added.

"Is she going to be alright?" Myles asked.

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can tell you without the family's permission," The doctor said as he dropped his hands into the pockets of his green scrubs.

Bobby took a menacing step towards the doctor, his coworkers instantly at his side, hoping to stop his temper before he did something stupid. He reached into his pocket and flashed his badge, "Look here, mate, right now, we're the only family she's got. We're not asking to see her; we're not asking for all that much. We just want to know if she's going to be okay," Agent Manning said in a low voice.

The doctor shook his head, "The bullet entered the middle part of Miss McDaniels's abdomen. It didn't go out through her back and it was necessary that we do surgery to remove it. There is some internal damage, we can't yet be sure of the extent of it. She had lost too much blood and would have gone into shock had we poked around much more. She also has two broken ribs from the impact of the bullet, and one nearly punctured her left lung. For right now, she's still in critical condition, but if she makes it through the night, I expect she will make a full recovery," He paused and taking a look at Tara's half open mouth said, "I recommend that you all go home and get some rest, you can come back tomorrow, or later today rather, or call to see how she's faring."

"Thank you, doctor," D said as the doctor disappeared without another word. Tara reached for another tissue and left the room hurriedly. Slowly, the team trickled out of the waiting room, leaving only Jack and Sue.

Jack touched her hand, making her look over at him, **"Are you okay?" **he signed and spoke.

She shook her head. He gently squeezed her hand, "There was nothing you could have done."

"She was so young," Sue whispered, looking at the scrapes on her hands from where she had hit the pavement.

"I know."

"She shouldn't have died like that."

"No one should die like that."

Sue looked toward the ICU door, "Do you know what Leslie said to me?"

Jack shook his head. Sue looked back at him, "Life is short. She said that I had more to live for than she did, that she didn't have anything left to lose," her voice broke but she took a deep breath and continued, "and that if she died, I shouldn't blame myself. She would have done it all over again."

Sue looked down at her hands, purposely ignoring what Jack was saying. He tilted her head up and made her watch his lips. She shook her head at his statement, but he knew she had understood.

They sat there for a few more minutes before Sue looked at him again. This time, she focused on his eyes rather than his lips, "Can you please take me home?"

Jack stood up and pulled Sue up with him, "I was just about to suggest that," He smiled softly and they left the waiting room, still holding hands.

* * *

**I have a very important announcement to make: THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER! Of the story anyway, there might be an epilogue and there will be a character list posted as sort of a reference, but it's done. Wow…it's so hard to believe…but before I get into all that: the reason for my really long update!**

**WRITER'S BLOCK! I wanted this chapter to be perfect and it was making me angry! And I went to Washington D.C. for three days! I saw the Hoover building! I recognized it from the show, how corny is that? I even took tourist/starker photos of it! **

**And did you like the romance I put in there?**

**Hehehe, review lovies!**

**~Striker **


	21. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

* * *

The day of the funeral was a damp, dark day in Mid November. Ten people (including the priest) were in attendance. The stone was the kind that would lay level with the ground and it simply read:

**Liza 'Raven' Black**

**November 20, 1995-November 13, 2011**

The casket was the cheapest kind, the one reserved for people who didn't have anybody to pay for the funeral. The priest said what he needed to and disappeared in record time (twelve minutes) leaving the ten people gathered around the grave.

Leslie had survived her night in the hospital and had received her transfer papers. After two months of recuperation, she would start at the Minneapolis (Minnesota) field office after the New Year. She had made some comment about freezing her butt off and if they were going to send her out into the middle of no-man's-land, why could she have been somewhere hot? She had then mused she probably would have ended up with third degree sun burn (like she had when she was at the LA office), so it was probably for the best. But she was content with the move; it was time for a change.

The team all stood facing the only other person who had shown up at the funeral, Cali. The girl Jack and Sue had met at the ballet studio was dressed completely in black and she had so much mascara on, it was a wonder you could see her face, especially since it was running down her alabaster cheeks. She stood there with her arms crossed, not making a sound as she wept, her eyes glues on the casket.

Sue watched her and wiped the tears out of her own eyes. She hated this part of her job, seeing the loss of life, especially one so short. She let the rest of her team leave, even Jack, before she went up to Cali. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Cali looked at her through her tears, "Not really." She looked at the casket then back at Sue, "I met her when she was ten. She was living off the streets like an animal, and people treated her like one. They thought she was retarded or something because she didn't talk. Most of them never realized just how bright the kid was," She laughed through her tears, "It was my fault she got into the Strikers. I joined when I was just a little older than her…it was nice to have people who cared, you know? Lord knows I didn't have much of that at home," She shook her head, "and Raven liked it too. She figured out that if she acted tough and did what they wanted, she could go places. And she rose through the ranks like a weed, it was crazy," she looked at the ground, then back at Sue, "it was all so crazy. I was proud of her, so proud. And now she's dead!" Cali sobbed. She let Sue wrap her arms around her and hold her as she sobbed.

It took a while, but when she could speak again, she looked Sue in the eye, "You're FBI. I want to give evidence against the Strikers. I want to send them all to jail."

Sue smiled through her own tears, "I think I can help you with that."

* * *

By the time spring came, the case against the Strikers was almost complete. Cali had known just about every single gang member and she was making life for the NGIC very easy. The case was probably going to come to court sometime in the next month. Leslie had been in Minnesota for about two months each member of the team had received some sort of letter or email or postcard from the red-head. They were short and to the point, usually relating one of her newest escapades. After the letter had been shared, it would be tucked somewhere for a rainy day, a day when its recipient needed a smile. Of all of the seven letters, Bobby's was voted the favorite. It was a postcard with a picture of a blizzard on the front, and it simply read:

_I miss my third degree sun burns._

_~L_

And of the seven letters, Sue's was the longest and the only one that wasn't shared in its entirety. It read something like this:

_Sue-_

_It's cold. _

_REALLY cold. _

_Like all-my-extremities-have-frost-bite-and-are-likely-to-fall-off cold. _

_Sigh, I suppose I should get to the really reason I'm writing this letter. I don't know why I'm writing this. I have you number, your email, I could just contact you that way. But I wanted this to come the old fashioned way. I just wanted to explain to you why I said what I did the night Najjar was killed. _

_You probably know this already, but I was married once. It was the best two years of my life, let me tell you. Brad and I had something special, really special. He was in the CIA, he was a spy. I think we were both adrenalin junkies, that's probably why we chose our careers. We meet on the third floor of the Hoover building, you know. He was working a case with one of the other units and I was rolling through my days in my sarcastic way. I had a huge stack of papers for my supervisor and I was cussing out that stack when I ran right into him and dropped my papers. I swore a blue streak and he laughed. When he bent down to help me pick up the mess, our hands touch and I got zapped, you know, like static electricity? We had our first date that night. _

_At the time, it seemed like fate, and most days it still does. I try not to think about him on those dark days when it feels like God was just toying with us, giving me him for such a short time. It hurt so bad when I lost him, it still hurts like crazy. I have to admit that I don't deal with grief well, I tend to ignore it until it wells up like a shaken soda-bottle. Then I completely lose it. _

_But I'm rambling, what I wanted to say is that I meant what I said, life _is _short. If you don't go with the flow, you go places, meet people. But if you fight the current, you just wear yourself out and end up missing out and hurting the people that pass you by (elbows and feet and hands can cause a lot of damage). Let your heart lead you, Sue, it knows the right way._

_If you need to talk, ever, you can call me anytime. You probably won't be hearing much from me in the coming months…I'm awful at keeping in touch. _

_~Leslie_

Leslie wasn't kidding about being bad at staying in touch. After the final letter arrived, Leslie kind of faded away. Her desk was removed and her spicy perfume's smell faded and the team fell back into the old routine. Nothing had changed from the outside, but the inside had.

They tried a little harder to make the best of things, they often thought about a sixteen year old girl, they often prayed. And the little grave in the cheap section of the graveyard was the most visited one, and it was never without fresh flowers.

* * *

**The End**

**Thanks again to everyone who followed through with the whole story! It means SO much to me, so, so, so much! Thanks to all my readers as well!**

**And this is my thank-you present for y'all! It's the title and (1****st**** draft) summary of my next Sue Thomas FBEye Fic starring…wait for it…BRUCE BOXLEITNER, SHOSHANNAH STERN, ALEX O'LOUGHLIN, and ROB LOWE! WHOO HOO! I love Bruce Boxleitner so much, :] ! Here's the title and summary:**

The Vidocq Society 

After Sue is called away for a family emergency in the middle of an important case, another partially deaf woman, Kelsey Dixon (**Stern**), is called in to read lips in her place. Dixon is transferred to the team after an error is found in one of Sue's transcripts by the newest member of the team, supervisor Richard DeAngelis (**Lowe**). Sure that she did not make the error, Sue starts her own investigation…the only problem is that _everyone _thinks she's over reacting. Plus, Dixon has her eye on Jack, and it looks like he's feeling the same way.

Meanwhile, a Vidocq Society investigation leads one of the investigators, _[Name to Be Decided]_ (**Boxleitner**), to someone on the team. But before he can act, an accident lands him in a comma in the hospital. His son _[Name to Be Decided]_ (**O'Loughlin**), is sure that accident wasn't an accident and enlists Sue's help to get to the bottom of the case.

It's a civil war at the FBI…but the lines are hard to discern and enemies are everywhere. Can Sue figure out whose out to ruin her reputation _and _help the Vidocq Society solve an ice cold case?

**Sound good? And if I see any stories like this pop up of FF I will hunt you down and eat you up! Oh, and if you don't know what the Vidocq Society is, it's a group of people who solve cold cases, Google for more info!**

**Look for this story sometime in the next few months…I don't have all the details 100% worked out yet and I want to get into some routine with school!**

**~Agent Striker **


	22. CHARACTER LIST

**Character List:**

Character's Name from Story- _Actor/Actress Who I chose to 'portray' them_

Raven- _Jodelle Ferland_- a deaf girl/gang member Jack and Sue meet in the hospital.

Keith Glover- _Drew Roy_- one of Sue's new informants, the reason Jack and Sue were at the hospital in the first place.

Leslie McDaniels-_Amy Adams_- a temporary agent transferred into the team, knew everyone but Sue from when she worked with them.

Jocelyn Carter-_Jessica Alba_

Gwen Carter- _Reese Witherspoon_

Frank Monroe- _Tom Sellick_

**The Three People Killed In The Dealership Bombing(Pictures Only):**

Markus Atherton- _Robert De Niro_

Christopher Page- _Edward Norton_

MaryAnn Wong- _Lucy Liu_

**Spring Stream Folks(Who are not really important):**

The Gas Station Attendant- _Morgan Freeman_

**Also from Spring Stream:**

Sheriff Hatley- _James Cromwell_

Deputy- _Keith Hamilton Cobbs_

Colton Hendrix- _Molly C. Quinn_

**And the Najjar Family:**

Kamal Najjar- _Oshri Cohen_- Bomber

Aahil Najjar- _Hisham Abdulrahman_- Brother of Bomber

Ibrahim Najjar- _Moshe Ivgy_- Father

**A few members of chapter 10:**

Kurt Martins_-__Robbie Amell_

Kaleigh- _Keira Knightley_

Boy- _Logan Lerman_

Hispanic Boy- _Kiowa Gordon_

Maid- _Afshan Azad_

**From Chapter 14:**

Renee- _Trix Bruce_

Brynn- _Selena Gomez_

Cali- _Avril Lavigne_

**From Chapter 15:**

Young Cop- _Zac Efron_

Fire Chief- _Jameson Parker_

**The Men Who Were in the Fire:**

Blond Man- _Paul Wesley_

Older Man- _David Strathairn_

African American Man- _Will Smith_

**From Chapter 17:**

Arnold Ito- _Masi Oka_


End file.
